MODELLING OF POLYCOMB-DEPENDENT CHROMOSOMAL INTERACTIONS INVOLVED INDROSOPHILAGENE SILENCING

Silke Ritter, Jens Odenheimer (), Dieter W. Heermann (), Frederic Bantignies (), Charlotte Grimaud and Giacomo Cavalli ()
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Silke Ritter: Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 19, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Jens Odenheimer: Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 19, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Dieter W. Heermann: Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 19, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Frederic Bantignies: CNRS Institute of Human Genetics, 141, rue de la Cardonille, F-34396 Montpellier, France
Charlotte Grimaud: CNRS Institute of Human Genetics, 141, rue de la Cardonille, F-34396 Montpellier, France
Giacomo Cavalli: CNRS Institute of Human Genetics, 141, rue de la Cardonille, F-34396 Montpellier, France

International Journal of Modern Physics C (IJMPC), 2006, vol. 17, issue 05, 757-767

Abstract: The conditions of the chromosomes inside the nucleus in the Rabl configuration have been modelled as self-avoiding polymer chains under restraining conditions. To ensure that the chromosomes remain stretched out and lined up, we fixed their end points to two opposing walls. The numbers of segmentsN, the distancesd1andd2between the fixpoints, and the wall-to-wall distancez(as measured in segment lengths) determine an approximate value for the Kuhn segment lengthkl. We have simulated the movement of the chromosomes using molecular dynamics to obtain the expected distance distribution between the genetic loci in the absence of further attractive or repulsive forces. A comparison to biological experiments onDrosophila Melanogasteryields information on the parameters for our model. With the correct parameters it is possible to draw conclusions on the strength and range of the attraction that leads to pairing.

Keywords: Biomolecules; structure and physical properties; gene expression; molecular dynamics; self-avoiding random walks; constraint geormetry; 87.15.Aa; 87.16.Sr; 87.14.Gg (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006
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DOI: 10.1142/S0129183106009400

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