Chromosome territories explained

In cell biology, chromosome territories are regions of the nucleus preferentially occupied by particular chromosomes.

Interphase chromosomes are long DNA strands that are extensively folded, and are often described as appearing like a bowl of spaghetti. The chromosome territory concept holds that despite this apparent disorder, chromosomes largely occupy defined regions of the nucleus.^[1] Most eukaryotes are thought to have chromosome territories, although the budding yeast S. cerevisiae is an exception to this.^[2]

Characteristics

Chromosome territories are spheroid with diameters on the order of one to few micrometers.^[3]

Nuclear compartments devoid of DNA called interchromatin compartments have been reported to tunnel into chromosome territories to facilitate molecular diffusion into the otherwise tightly packed chromosome-occupied regions.^{[4] [5]}

History and experimental support

The concept of chromosome territories was proposed by Carl Rabl in 1885 based on studies of Salamandra maculata.^[6]

Chromosome territories have gained recognition using fluorescence labeling techniques (fluorescence in situ hybridization).^[7]

Studies of genomic proximity using techniques like chromosome conformation capture have supported the chromosome territory concept by showing that DNA-DNA contacts predominantly happen within particular chromosomes.

Notes and References

1. Meaburn, Misteli T . Chromosome territories . Nature . 445 . 7126 . January 25, 2007 . 10.1038/445379a . 17251970 . 379–781. 4426363 .
2. Cremer T, Cremer M . Chromosome Territories . Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol . 2 . 3 . a003889 . March 2010 . 2829961 . 10.1101/cshperspect.a003889. 20300217 .
3. Meaburn, Misteli T . Chromosome territories . Nature . 445 . 7126 . January 25, 2007 . 10.1038/445379a . 17251970 . 379–781. 4426363 .
4. 17115328. 2006. Albiez. H. Chromatin domains and the interchromatin compartment form structurally defined and functionally interacting nuclear networks. Chromosome Research. 14. 7. 707–33. Cremer. M. Tiberi. C. Vecchio. L. Schermelleh. L. Dittrich. S. Küpper. K. Joffe. B. Thormeyer. T. von Hase. J. Yang. S. Rohr. K. Leonhardt. H. Solovei. I. Cremer. C. Christoph Cremer . Fakan. S. Cremer. T. 10.1007/s10577-006-1086-x. 19283038.
5. 19731052. 2009. Rouquette. J. Revealing the high-resolution three-dimensional network of chromatin and interchromatin space: A novel electron-microscopic approach to reconstructing nuclear architecture. Chromosome Research. 17. 6. 801–10. Genoud. C. Vazquez-Nin. G. H.. Kraus. B. Cremer. T. Fakan. S. 10.1007/s10577-009-9070-x. 32713660.
6. Cremer T, Cremer M . Chromosome Territories . Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol . 2 . 3 . a003889 . 1 March 2010 . 20300217. 2829961 . 10.1101/cshperspect.a003889.
7. Web site: Chromosome Territories: The Arrangement of Chromosomes in the Nucleus . Nature Education . 15 August 2015.