Metagenome Analysis Exploiting High-Throughput Chromosome Conformation Capture (3C) Data

Microbial communities are complex and constitute important parts of our environment. Genomic analysis of these populations is a dynamic research area but remains limited by the difficulty in assembling full genomes of individual species. Recently, a new method for metagenome assembly/analysis based on chromosome conformation capture has emerged (meta3C). This approach quantifies the collisions experienced by DNA molecules to identify those sharing the same cellular compartments, allowing the characterization of genomes present within complex mixes of species. The exploitation of these chromosome 3D signatures holds promising perspectives for genome sequencing of discrete species in complex populations. It also has the potential to assign correctly extra-chromosomal elements, such as plasmids, mobile elements and phages, to their host cells.

TrendsCollisions between DNA molecules occur principally within the same cellular compartment.Meta3C quantifiesthe collisions between DNA molecules within microbialcommunities.Genomic 3D signatures resulting from these contacts include plasmids, mobile elements and even phages.Metagenomic 3C paves the way to integrated genomic analysis of complexpopulations.