Fig. 1.

Naked DNA is decorated by proteins and epigenetic markings that differ from locus to locus and differ between cell types within the same organism. This ensemble of proteins that associates with the genome acts on DNA, shaping its 3D organization. In turn, the spatial architecture of the genome is involved in transcriptional regulation of the genes encoded in the DNA. Through data-driven physical simulations, Bascom et al. (1) show how epigenetic markers drive the formation of the HOXC gene hub. Image courtesy of Michele Di Pierro and Ryan Cheng (Rice University, Houston).