title: Decoding the role of chromatin architecture in development: coming closer to the end of the tunnel.
abstract: Form and function in biology are intimately related aspects that are often difficult to untangle. While the structural aspects of chromatin organization were apparent from early cytological observations long before the molecular details of chromatin functions were deciphered, the extent to which genome architecture may impact its output remains unclear. A major roadblock to resolve this issue is the divergent scales, both temporal and spatial, of the experimental approaches for examining these facets of chromatin biology. Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing and informatics to model and monitor genome-wide chromatin contact sites provide the much-needed platform to close this gap. This mini-review will focus on discussing recent efforts applying new technologies to elucidate the roles of genome architecture in coordinating global gene expression output. Our discussion will emphasize the potential roles of differential genome 3-D structure as a driver for cell fate specification of multicellular organisms. An integrated approach that combines multiple new methodologies may finally have the necessary temporal and spatial resolution to provide clarity on the roles of chromatin architecture during development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Chongyuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey New Brunswick, NJ, USA ; The Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey Piscataway, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lam
keywords: INTACT method; cell fate specification; chromatin; chromatin beacons; chromatin conformation capture