Live imaging of chromatin distribution reveals novel principles of nuclear architecture and chromatin compartmentalization

The three-dimensional organization of chromatin contributes to transcriptional control, but information about native chromatin distribution is limited. Imaging chromatin in live Drosophila larvae, with preserved nuclear volume, revealed that active and repressed chromatin separates from the nuclear interior and forms a peripheral layer underneath the nuclear lamina. This is in contrast to the current view that chromatin distributes throughout the nucleus. Furthermore, peripheral chromatin organization was observed in distinct Drosophila tissues, as well as in live human effector T lymphocytes and neutrophils. Lamin A/C up-regulation resulted in chromatin collapse toward the nuclear center and correlated with a significant reduction in the levels of active chromatin. Physical modeling suggests that binding of lamina-associated domains combined with chromatin self-attractive interactions recapitulate the experimental chromatin distribution profiles. Together, our findings reveal a novel mode of mesoscale organization of peripheral chromatin sensitive to lamina composition, which is evolutionary conserved.

Automated summary

The research revealed that the three-dimensional organization of chromatin plays a crucial role in transcriptional control, with active and repressed chromatin separating from the nuclear interior to form a peripheral layer underneath the nuclear lamina. This peripheral chromatin organization, sensitive to lamina composition, was observed in various Drosophila tissues as well as in live human cells, indicating an evolutionarily conserved mode of mesoscale chromatin organization.