The nucleus is an ordered three-dimensional entity, and organization of the genome within the nuclear space might have implications for orchestrating gene expression. Recent technological developments have revealed that chromatin is folded into loops bringing distal regulatory elements into intimate contact with the genes that they regulate. Such intrachromosomal contacts appear to be a general...

Transcription of coregulated genes occurs in the context of long-range chromosomal contacts that form multigene complexes. Such contacts and transcription are lost in knockout studies of transcription factors and structural chromatin proteins. To ask whether chromosomal contacts are required for cotranscription in multigene complexes, we devised a strategy using TALENs to cleave and disrupt gen...

Examples Determine interaction between a known promoter and enhancer Determine comprehensively higher-order chromosome structure in a defi ned region All genes and genomic elements associated with a known LCR All intraand interchromosomal associations Determine the role of specifi c transcription factors in the interaction between a known promoter and enhancer Map chromatin interaction network ...