Loop-extrusion and polymer phase-separation can co-exist at the single-molecule level to shape chromatin folding

Abstract

Two main mechanisms have been proposed to shape 3D genome architecture - loop extrusion and phase separation. Here the authors combine these mechanisms in polymer models in a manner that best fits 3D genome, based on both Hi-C and super-resolution locus imaging data, proposing that these two physical processes can indeed coexist simultaneously within cells to define loops and TADs.