Chromatin jets, also referred to as plumes or fountains, are relatively new structures identified in 3C-based sequencing data such as Hi-C and Repli-HiC. They are characterized by symmetrical interactions between opposing segments of a chromatin loop, resembling a hairpin-like configuration. Biologically, jet-like structures have been shown to arise under two distinct conditions: (1) two-sided loop extrusion at cohesin loading sites; and (2) during the DNA replication process. However, these cases have been observed only in a few cell types without comprehensive characterizations partially due to a lack of computational method to accurately and efficiently detect jets of various sizes and orientations. To fill in this gap, we have developed a ridge-detection algorithm that incorporates scale-space to identify curvilinear (jet-like) patterns in Hi-C and other 3C-based technologies. Our tool has the potential to uncover the biological significance of chromatin jets.

This presentation will be held in 2036 Palmer Commons. There will also be a remote viewing option via Zoom.