Pack, unpack, bend, twist, pull, push: the physical side of gene expression

Molecular motors such as polymerases produce physical constraints on DNA and chromatin. Recent techniques, in particular single-molecule micromanipulation, provide estimation of the forces and torques at stake. These biophysical approaches have improved our understanding of chromatin behaviour under physiological physical constraints and should, in conjunction with genome wide and in vivo studies, help to build more realistic mechanistic models of transcription in the context of chromatin. Here, we wish to provide a brief overview of our current knowledge in the field, and emphasize at the same time the importance of DNA supercoiling as a major parameter in gene regulation.