Chromatin dynamics and genome organization in development and disease

Current technological advancements and genome-wide studies provide compelling evidence that dynamic chromatin interaction and three-dimensional genome organization in nuclei play an important role in regulating gene expression. This chapter highlights current technical advances in mapping interactions within the same chromosome (intrachromosomal) and between different chromosomes (interchromosomal), as well as outlines the roles of dynamic chromatin interactions in transcription regulation. We further explored the function of chromatin modulators, such as chromatin insulator binding protein CTCF, cohesin, SATB1, and transcription cofactors, in chromatin interactions and genome organization. Changes in higher-order organization of chromatin will alter global gene expression and promote genome rearrangements. Finally, we focused on the implications of these studies in cancer and development.