Role of Motors in Genome Folding

Explore the fascinating process of chromosome condensation in this 48-minute lecture by Dave Thirumalai, holder of the Collie-Welch Regents Chair at The University of Texas at Austin. Delve into the role of ATP-consuming motors in driving chromosome loop formation, a key mechanism in genome folding. Examine an analytically solvable model for loop extrusion (LE) inspired by real-time imaging experiments. Learn about the theory suggesting motors undergo large conformational changes through a scrunching mechanism, similar to DNA bubble formation in bacterial transcription. Discover how the extension of this theory to multiple motors, combined with Hi-C data analysis, reveals that mitotic structures are characterized by random helical perversion. Gain insights into Thirumalai's current research on the physics of chromosome folding and its implications for understanding mitotic chromosome structures. This talk, sponsored by the Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering, the Cancer and Physical Sciences Program, and NIH Grants, offers a deep dive into the intersection of physics and genomics.