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Probing chromosome structure with dynamic force relaxation.

M G Poirier1, A Nemani, P Gupta

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 60607-7059, USA.

Physical Review Letters
|February 15, 2001
PubMed
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We measured force relaxation in single mitotic chromosomes, finding it occurs exponentially due to chromatin loop disentanglement, not solvent flow. This reveals chromosome internal dynamics and high viscosity.

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Mitotic chromosomes undergo mechanical stress during cell division.
  • Understanding chromosome mechanics is crucial for cell division fidelity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To measure the force relaxation dynamics of single mitotic chromosomes.
  • To elucidate the underlying mechanisms responsible for this relaxation.

Main Methods:

  • Micropipette aspiration was used to apply step strains to single mitotic chromosomes.
  • Force relaxation was measured over time following applied elongations.

Main Results:

  • Force relaxation followed an exponential decay with a time constant of approximately 2 seconds.

Related Experiment Videos

  • The measured effective viscosity was approximately 10^5 times that of water.
  • Solvent flow into the chromosome was experimentally excluded as a relaxation mechanism.

    • Conclusions:

    • Chromosome relaxation is attributed to the disentanglement dynamics of chromatin loop domains (approx. 80 kb).
    • This finding provides insights into the viscoelastic properties and internal organization of mitotic chromosomes.