Structural-Scaling Transitions and Criticality Cascade in DNA with Open States.

This article investigates the mechanism of self-organized DNA criticality with open states, which plays a key role in the regulation of gene expression and consequently in cell fate determination. Based on a mechanobiological model developed using methods of statistical physics and thermodynamics, we demonstrate that the collective behavior of DNA open-state ensembles governs transitions between bistable, metastable, and critical genomic states. These states correspond to different gene expression scenarios involved in cell fate determination. Through simulation results, we introduce the concept of a criticality cascade, linking the dynamics of the DNA molecule structural parameter χ with global changes in cellular processes. The findings align with experimental data and offer new perspectives for studying genome regulation mechanisms, including pathological conditions such as cancer.