Microscopy and sequencing-based technologies are providing increasing insights into chromatin architecture. Nevertheless, a full comprehension of chromosome folding and its link with vital cell functions is far from accomplished at the molecular level. Recent theoretical and computational approaches are providing important support to experiments to dissect the three-dimensional structure of chromosomes and its organizational mechanisms. Here, we review, in particular, the String&Binders polymer model of chromatin that describes the textbook scenario where contacts between distal DNA sites are established by cognate binders. It has been shown to recapitulate key features of chromosome folding and to be able at predicting how phenotypes causing structural variants rewire the interactions between genes and regulators.

中文翻译：

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高分子物理学研究染色质折叠的计算方法。

基于显微镜和测序的技术为染色质体系提供了越来越多的见识。然而，对染色体折叠及其与重要细胞功能的联系的全面理解远未达到分子水平。最近的理论和计算方法为解剖染色体的三维结构及其组织机制的实验提供了重要的支持。在这里，我们特别回顾了染色质的String＆Binders聚合物模型，该模型描述了教科书场景，其中远端DNA位点之间的联系是通过同源结合剂建立的。研究表明，它可以概括染色体折叠的关键特征，并能够预测引起结构变异的表型如何重新整合基因与调节子之间的相互作用。