ppHiC: Interactive exploration of Hi-C results on the ProteinPaint web portal

Comput Struct Biotechnol J. 2024 Oct 2:23:3467-3471. doi: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.09.020. eCollection 2024 Dec.

Abstract

The ProteinPaint Hi-C tool (ppHiC) facilitates web-based visualization and collaborative exploration of Hi-C data, a vital resource for understanding three-dimensional genomic structures. ppHiC allows researchers to easily analyze large Hi-C datasets on a web browser without requiring the computational expertise that has heretofore limited access to this complex genomic data. The platform is compatible with multiple Hi-C data versions and boasts a highly customizable interface, including a configuration panel for the precise adjustment of key visualization parameters. The tool's interactive features offer a broad range of views, from whole-genome landscapes to detailed interactions between pairs of loci, that are accessible within a single, integrated environment. Here, we demonstrate how using ppHiC to visualize an altered chromatin conformational landscape in neuroblastoma can inform understanding of the genomic rearrangements in this cancer.

Keywords: Contact matrix; Genomic rearrangement; Hi-C; ProteinPaint; Visualization; Web server.