"In a landmark effort to understand how the physical structure of our DNA influences human biology, Northwestern investigators and the 4D Nucleome Project have unveiled the most detailed maps to date of the genome's three‑dimensional organization across time and space, according to a new study published in Nature. The findings, generated using human embryonic stem cells and fibroblasts, offer a sweeping view of how genes interact, fold and reposition themselves as cells function and divide,"
"Rather than existing as a straight ladder of code, the human genome folds into looping structures and compartments within the nucleus. These physical interactions can determine which genes turn on or off, influencing everything from development to cell identity and disease. To study this complexity, Yue and his international collaborators employed a wide array of genomic technologies on fibroblasts and human embryonic stem cells to produce a unified dataset. This effort identified:"
Human embryonic stem cells and fibroblasts were analyzed with multiple genomic technologies to generate unified, time-resolved maps of genome architecture. The maps identify over 140,000 chromatin loops per cell type and characterize loop anchor elements and their roles in gene regulation. Chromosomal domains are comprehensively classified and their spatial positions within the nucleus are mapped. High-resolution single-cell 3D genome models illustrate how chromosomes fold, reposition and interact dynamically as cells function and divide. The data reveal that folding patterns, loops and compartments influence which genes are activated or silenced, impacting development, cell identity and disease processes.
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