Abstract
Chromosomes must be tightly folded within cell nuclei but in a manner ensuring accessibility to the machinery regulating transcription, replication, and repair. Recent studies have identified the hierarchical organization principles of chromosome folding, which impact on transcriptional regulation of gene programs. Differentiation of pluripotent stem cells is characterized by a transition from generally open and transcriptionally permissive chromatin to a more polarized state, whereby lineage-specific genes are maintained in an “open” configuration and genes in other lineages are shut down within repressive, more compacted chromatin. Despite such an apparent difference between pluripotent and differentiated chromatin states, the underlying architectural organization principles are very similar. Here, we provide an overview on our understanding of how chromosome folding is linked to cell fate control via transcriptional regulation, focusing on the similarities and differences between pluripotent and somatic cells and special cases (e.g., mitosis) where chromatin folding appears very different.
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