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Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Associated Chromosome Trap for Identifying Long-range DNA Interactions
Published on: April 23, 2011
The contraction of time and space in remote chromosomal interactions
1Division of Genetics, Genomics, and Development, Center for Integrative Genomics, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
Abstract:
Lucas et al. report the visualization of V(D)J recombination of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene (Igh) in living pro-B cells. Despite the huge distances separating V coding sequences from D-J sequences (~2 Mb), the authors document an astonishingly rapid rate of remote associations. The key to speed is contraction of the Igh chromosomal domain. These findings provide a foundation for understanding long-range regulatory interactions in a variety of developmental processes, including the patterning of vertebrate limbs.
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