Statistical model of intra-chromosome contact maps

The statistical properties of intra-chromosome maps obtained by a genome-wide chromosome conformation capture method (Hi-C) are described in the framework of the hierarchical crumpling model of heteropolymer chain with quenched disorder in the primary sequence. We conjecture that the observed Hi-C maps are statistical averages over many different ways of hierarchical genome folding, and show that the existence of quenched primary structure coupled with hierarchical folding can induce the observed fine structure of intra-chromosome contact maps.