title: A statistical model of intra-chromosome contact maps.
abstract: A statistical model describing a fine structure of the intra-chromosome maps obtained by a genome-wide chromosome conformation capture method (Hi-C) is proposed. The model combines hierarchical chain folding with a quenched heteropolymer structure of primary chromatin sequences. It is conjectured that the observed Hi-C maps are statistical averages over many different ways of hierarchical genome folding. It is shown that the existence of a quenched primary structure coupled with hierarchical folding induces a full range of features observed in experimental Hi-C maps: hierarchical elements, chess-board intermittency and large-scale compartmentalization.
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Leonid I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Nazarov
authors.forename: Mikhail V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Tamm
authors.forename: Vladik A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Avetisov
authors.forename: Sergei K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Nechaev
mesh_terms: D002874:Chromosome Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D015233:Models, Statistical