The stochastic nature of genome organization and function

Genomes have complex three-dimensional structures. High-resolution population-based biochemical studies over the last decade have painted a mostly static picture of the genome characterized by universal organizational features, such as chromatin domains and compartments. Yet, when analyzed at the single cell level, these architectural elements are highly variable. The heterogeneity in genome organization is in line with the inherent stochasticity of transcription that shows high variation between individual cells. We highlight recent findings on single-cell variability in genome organization and describe a framework for how the stochastic nature of chromatin organization may relate to transcription dynamics.