DSSS - Evolution of 3D chromatin folding across time-scales

The functioning of cells depends on far more than DNA sequence alone. It requires a finely tuned interplay among complex gene networks, coordinated by dispersed regulatory elements and by three-dimensional contacts between distant genomic regions. Understanding how these layers of chromatin organization interact in the germ line across species is key to revealing the mechanisms that drive evolutionary plasticity. In this talk, I will provide an overview of the evolution of chromatin architecture across the Animal Tree of Life. I will begin by outlining general principles governing the mode and tempo of genome folding in germ cells. I will then discuss emerging evidence on how specific chromatin-folding patterns shape both local and global nuclear organization. Finally, I will discuss how specific chromatin interaction landscapes may predispose certain lineages to unique chromosomal rearrangements, with a special emphasis on the germ line, where such reorganizations can be transmitted across generations.