Insulation between adjacent TADs is controlled by the width of their boundaries through distinct mechanisms.

Topologically associating domains (TADs) are sub-Megabase regions in vertebrate genomes with enriched intradomain interactions that restrict enhancer-promoter contacts across their boundaries. However, the mechanisms that separate TADs remain incompletely understood. Most boundaries between TADs contain CTCF binding sites (CBSs), which individually contribute to the blocking of Cohesin-mediated loop extrusion.

CTCF: A misguided jack-of-all-trades in cancer cells.

The emergence and progression of cancers is accompanied by a dysregulation of transcriptional programs. The three-dimensional (3D) organization of the human genome has emerged as an important multi-level mediator of gene transcription and regulation. In cancer cells, this organization can be restructured, providing a framework for the deregulation of gene activity.