Network models of chromatin structure

Abstract

Increasing numbers of datasets and experimental assays that capture the organization of chromatin inside the nucleus warrant an effort to develop tools to visualize and analyze these structures. Alongside polymer physics or constraint-based modeling, network theory approaches to describe 3D epigenome organization have gained in popularity. Representing genomic regions as nodes in a network enables visualization of 1D epigenomics datasets in the context of chromatin structure maps, while network theory metrics can be used to describe 3D epigenome organization and dynamics. In this review, we summarize the most salient applications of network theory to the study of chromatin contact maps, demonstrating its potential in revealing epigenomic patterns and relating them to cellular phenotypes.