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REVIEW: The Role of Chromosome–Nuclear Envelope Attachments in 3D Genome Organization


I. V. Sharakhov1,2*, S. M. Bondarenko2, G. N. Artemov2, and A. V. Onufriev3,4

1Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Fralin Life Science Institute, Department of Entomology, 24061 Blacksburg, VA, USA; E-mail: igor@vt.edu

2Tomsk State University, Laboratory of Ecology, Genetics and Environmental Protection, Tomsk, Russia

3Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Department of Physics, 24060 Blacksburg, VA, USA

4Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Department of Computer Science, 24061 Blacksburg, VA, USA

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received October 20, 2017; Revision received December 11, 2017
Chromosomes are intricately folded and packaged in the cell nucleus and interact with the nuclear envelope. This complex nuclear architecture has a profound effect on how the genome works and how the cells function. The main goal of review is to highlight recent studies on the effect of chromosome–nuclear envelope interactions on chromatin folding and function in the nucleus. The data obtained suggest that chromosome–nuclear envelope attachments are important for the organization of nuclear architecture in various organisms. A combination of experimental cell biology methods with computational modeling offers a unique opportunity to explore the fundamental relationships between different aspects of 3D genome organization in greater details. This powerful interdisciplinary approach could reveal how the organization and function of the genome in the nuclear space is affected by the chromosome–nuclear envelope attachments and will enable the development of novel approaches to regulate gene expression.
KEY WORDS: chromosomes, Drosophila, nuclear architecture, nuclear envelope, mosquitoes, modeling

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297918040065