The centromere performs a universally conserved function, to accurately partition genetic
information upon cell division. Yet, centromeres are among the most rapidly evolving …

Highlights•Standard force fields prescribe overly attractive DNA-DNA and DNA-protein
interactions.•Recently improved force fields enable simulations that reproduce and predict …

Chromosome inheritance depends on centromeres, epigenetically specified regions of
chromosomes. While conventional human centromeres are known to be built of long tandem …

ABSTRACT Three-dimensional (3D) organization of the human genome plays an essential
role in all DNA-templated processes, including gene transcription, gene regulation, and …

All life forms sense and respond to mechanical stimuli. Throughout evolution, organisms
develop diverse mechanosensing and mechanotransduction pathways, leading to fast and …

DNA double-strand breaks drive genomic instability. However, it remains unknown how
these processes may affect the biomechanical properties of the nucleus and what role …

Almost all nucleoprotein interactions and DNA manipulation events involve mechanical
deformations of DNA. Extraordinary progresses in single-molecule, structural, and …

Extracellular biophysical properties have particular implications for a wide spectrum of
cellular behaviors and functions, including growth, motility, differentiation, apoptosis, gene …

Understanding the function of eukaryotic genomes, including the human genome, is
undoubtedly one of the major scientific challenges of the 21st century. The cornerstone of …

Centromeres are scaffolds for the assembly of kinetochores that ensure chromosome
segregation during cell division. How vertebrate centromeres obtain a three-dimensional …