High-Resolution Mapping of the Spatial Organization of a Bacterial Chromosome

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1242059
• Publication Date: 2013-10-25T06:38:02Z
• Authors: Tung B. K. Le; Maxim V. Imakaev; Leonid A. Mirny; Michael T. Laub
• Keywords: Caulobacter crescentus; Prokaryote

Caulobacter Chromosome Chromosomal DNA must be highly compacted to fit within the tiny volume of cell, while at same time it maintain a conformation that allows critical cellular processes access genome. Le et al. (p. 731 , published online 24 October) analyzed structure circular chromosome in prokaryote crescentus by using capture and deep-sequencing. Highly self-interacting regions (chromosomal interaction domains, or CIDs) were observed—similar topologically associated domains previously seen eukaryotes. Supercoiling helped establish CIDs, CID boundaries defined expressed genes. CIDs appeared established during shortly after replication, could potentially facilitate chromosomal segregation preventing newly replicated chromosomes from becoming entangled.