Regulation of Nuclear Organization and Function

Dear Colleagues,

Precise regulation of which genes are expressed when and to which level is pivotal to all cellular forms of life. During development from zygote to mature organism, a complex transcriptional program unfolds where genes are activated and silenced in a highly orchestrated manner. Perturbations to gene expression can therefore have dramatic consequences on organismal growth and health. In eukaryotes, gene expression is controlled at multiple levels from the spatial organization of genes within the cell nucleus to nucleosome positioning and access of transcription factors. This Special Issue will cover novel findings on themes concerning nuclear organization and function. This embraces the three-dimensional organization of the genome, including global segregation of eu- and heterochromatin, phase separation, and folding of topologically associated domains and loops that facilitate interactions between regulatory elements of the genome. Access of transcription factors to target genes is often regulated by their nucleocytoplasmic distribution, but is also sensitive to posttranscriptional modifications of histones, which, together with nucleosome positioning, determine the compactness of chromatin. Finally, enrichment or anchoring of particular genes at nuclear features such as the nucleolus, the nuclear lamina, or nuclear pore complexes can have profound effects on their expression as well as DNA replication and repair kinetics. The Special Issue in particular invites contributions that cover advances in single-cell omics and novel multiplex imaging techniques to analyze cell and tissue heterogeneity.

Dr. Peter Askjaer
Guest Editor

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