Orateur
Description
Although our understanding of the involvement of heterochromatin architectural factors in
shaping nuclear organization is improving, there is still ongoing debate regarding the role of
active genes in this process. In this study, we utilize publicly-available Micro-C data from mouse
embryonic stem cells to investigate the relationship between gene transcription and 3D gene
folding. Our analysis uncovers a nonmonotonic - globally positive - correlation between
intragenic contact density and Pol II occupancy, independent of cohesin-based loop extrusion.
Through the development of a biophysical model integrating the role of transcription dynamics
within a polymer model of chromosome organization, we demonstrate that Pol II-mediated
attractive interactions with limited valency between transcribed regions yield quantitative
predictions consistent with Hi-C and live-imaging experiments. Our work provides compelling
evidence that transcriptional activity shapes the 4D genome through Pol II-mediated
micro-compartmentalization.
