Mini-review: Gene regulatory network benefits from three-dimensional chromatin conformation and structural biology

Abstract

Gene regulatory networks are now at the forefront of precision biology, which can help researchers better understand how genes and regulatory elements interact to control cellular gene expression, offering a more promising molecular mechanism in biological research. Interactions between the genes and regulatory elements involve different promoters, enhancers, transcription factors, silencers, insulators, and long-range regulatory elements, which occur at a ∼10 µm nucleus in a spatiotemporal manner. In this way, three-dimensional chromatin conformation and structural biology are critical for interpreting the biological effects and the gene regulatory networks. In the review, we have briefly summarized the latest processes in three-dimensional chromatin conformation, microscopic imaging, and bioinformatics, and we have presented the outlook and future directions for these three aspects.