From the statistical analysis of nucleosome positioning data for chromosome III of S. cerevisiae, we demonstrate that long-range correlations (LRC) in the genomic sequence strongly influence the organization of nucleosomes. We present a physical explanation of how LRC may significantly condition the overall formation and positioning of nucleosomes including the nucleosome-free regions observed at gene promoters. From grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations based upon a simple sequence-dependent nucleosome model, we show that LRC induce a patchy nucleosome occupancy landscape with alternation of “crystal-like” phases of confined regularly spaced nucleosomes and “fluidlike” phases of rather diluted nonpositioned nucleosomes.

• Received 31 May 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.218103