Spatial genome organization in the formation of chromosomal translocations

Chromosomal translocations and genomic instability are universal hallmarks of tumor cells. While the molecular mechanisms leading to the formation of translocations are rapidly being elucidated, a cell biological understanding of how chromosomes undergo translocations in the context of the cell nucleus in vivo is largely lacking. The recent realization that genomes are non-randomly arranged within the nuclear space has profound consequences for mechanisms of chromosome translocations. We review here the emerging principles of spatial genome organization and discuss the implications of non-random spatial genome organization for the genesis and specificity of cancerous chromosomal translocations.