1. Live-cell micromanipulation of a genomic locus reveals interphase chromatin mechanics
- Author
-
Woringer M, Hoffmann S, Daniele Fachinetti, Kolar-Znika L, Koceila Aizel, Antoine Coulon, Maxime Dahan, Zambon L, Maud Bongaerts, Grosse-Holz S, Keizer Vip, Edward J. Banigan, Leonid A. Mirny, Vittore F. Scolari, Dynamique du noyau [Institut Curie], Institut Curie [Paris]-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire Physico-Chimie Curie [Institut Curie] (PCC), Institut Curie [Paris]-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Biologie Cellulaire et Cancer, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL), Centre de recherche de l'Institut Curie [Paris], Institut Curie [Paris], Sorbonne Université (SU), Department of Physics [MIT Cambridge], and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Subjects
Physics ,0303 health sciences ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Cell ,Chromosome ,Locus (genetics) ,[SDV.BC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Cellular Biology ,02 engineering and technology ,Mechanics ,Human cell ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,[SDV.BIBS]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Quantitative Methods [q-bio.QM] ,Genome ,Chromatin ,[SDV.BBM.BP]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Molecular Biology/Biophysics ,03 medical and health sciences ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,medicine ,Interphase ,[PHYS.MECA.BIOM]Physics [physics]/Mechanics [physics]/Biomechanics [physics.med-ph] ,0210 nano-technology ,[PHYS.COND.CM-SCM]Physics [physics]/Condensed Matter [cond-mat]/Soft Condensed Matter [cond-mat.soft] ,Nucleus ,030304 developmental biology - Abstract
Our understanding of the physical principles organizing the genome in the nucleus is limited by the lack of tools to directly exert and measure forces on interphase chromosomes in vivo and probe their material nature. Here, we present a novel approach to actively manipulate a genomic locus using controlled magnetic forces inside the nucleus of a living human cell. We observe viscoelastic displacements over microns within minutes in response to near-picoNewton forces, which are well captured by a Rouse polymer model. Our results highlight the fluidity of chromatin, with a moderate contribution of the surrounding material, revealing the minor role of crosslinks and topological effects and challenging the view that interphase chromatin is a gel-like material. Our new technology opens avenues for future research, from chromosome mechanics to genome functions.
- Published
- 2021