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Main Authors: Meng, Luming, Liu, Boping, Luo, Qiong
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.19461
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author Meng, Luming
Liu, Boping
Luo, Qiong
author_facet Meng, Luming
Liu, Boping
Luo, Qiong
contents In the crowded eukaryotic nucleus, euchromatin and heterochromatin segregate into distinct compartments, a phenomenon often attributed to homotypic interactions mediated by liquid liquid phase separation of chromatin associated proteins. Here, we revisit genome compartmentalization by examining the role of in vivo DNA packing density fluctuations driven by ATP dependent chromatin remodelers. Leveraging DNA accessibility data, we develop a polymer based model that captures these fluctuations and successfully reproduces genome wide compartment patterns observed in HiC data, without invoking homotypic interactions. Further analysis reveals that density fluctuations in a crowded nuclear environment elevate the system energy, while euchromatin heterochromatin segregation facilitates energy dissipation, offering a thermodynamic advantage for spontaneous compartment formation. These findings suggest that euchromatin heterochromatin segregation may arise through a non equilibrium, self organizing process, providing new insights into genome organization.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_19461
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Fluctuations in DNA Packing Density Drive the Spatial Segregation between Euchromatin and Heterochromatin
Meng, Luming
Liu, Boping
Luo, Qiong
Soft Condensed Matter
Genomics
In the crowded eukaryotic nucleus, euchromatin and heterochromatin segregate into distinct compartments, a phenomenon often attributed to homotypic interactions mediated by liquid liquid phase separation of chromatin associated proteins. Here, we revisit genome compartmentalization by examining the role of in vivo DNA packing density fluctuations driven by ATP dependent chromatin remodelers. Leveraging DNA accessibility data, we develop a polymer based model that captures these fluctuations and successfully reproduces genome wide compartment patterns observed in HiC data, without invoking homotypic interactions. Further analysis reveals that density fluctuations in a crowded nuclear environment elevate the system energy, while euchromatin heterochromatin segregation facilitates energy dissipation, offering a thermodynamic advantage for spontaneous compartment formation. These findings suggest that euchromatin heterochromatin segregation may arise through a non equilibrium, self organizing process, providing new insights into genome organization.
title Fluctuations in DNA Packing Density Drive the Spatial Segregation between Euchromatin and Heterochromatin
topic Soft Condensed Matter
Genomics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.19461