Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Chromatin Packaging02:21

Chromatin Packaging

Each human somatic cell contains 6 billion base-pairs of DNA. Each base-pair is 0.34 nm long, which means that each diploid cell contains a staggering 2 meters of DNA. How is such a long DNA strand packed inside a nucleus measuring only 10 - 20 microns in diameter? 
The chromatin
In combination with specialized DNA binding protein called Histones, the DNA double helix forms a compact DNA: protein complex called chromatin. The chromatin itself is further compacted into higher-order structures.
Chromatin Packaging01:32

Chromatin Packaging

Each human somatic cell contains 6 billion base pairs of DNA. Each base pair is 0.34 nm long, meaning each diploid cell contains a staggering 2 meters of DNA. This long DNA strand is packed inside a nucleus measuring only 10-20 microns in diameter with the help of specialized DNA-binding proteins called histones. Together they form a compact DNA-protein complex called chromatin. The chromatin is further compacted into higher-order structures. The highest level of compaction is achieved during...
Chromatin Packaging02:21

Chromatin Packaging

Each human somatic cell contains 6 billion base-pairs of DNA. Each base-pair is 0.34 nm long, which means that each diploid cell contains a staggering 2 meters of DNA. How is such a long DNA strand packed inside a nucleus measuring only 10 - 20 microns in diameter? 
The chromatin
In combination with specialized DNA binding protein called Histones, the DNA double helix forms a compact DNA: protein complex called chromatin. The chromatin itself is further compacted into higher-order structures.
Spreading of Chromatin Modifications02:25

Spreading of Chromatin Modifications

The histone proteins in the nucleosomes are post-translationally modified (PTM) to increase or decrease access to DNA. The commonly observed PTMs are methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination of lysine amino acids in the histone H3 tail region. These histone modifications have specific meaning for the cell. Hence, they are called "histone code". The protein complex involved in histone modification is termed as "reader-writer" complex.
Writers
The writer is an enzyme that can...
Cohesins02:20

Cohesins

Cohesin protein complexes are a molecular glue that holds two sister chromatids together. They play an important role both in mitosis and meiosis. In mitosis, all cohesin complexes present on the chromosomes are removed before the start of the anaphase stage.
Cohesin complexes in Meiotic Division
Meiosis involves two distinct rounds of chromosomal segregation and cell divisions— Meiosis I followed by Meiosis II – producing four daughter cells. Meiosis I includes the separation of homologous...
Euchromatin01:01

Euchromatin

The extent of chromatin compaction can be studied by staining chromatin using specific DNA binding dyes. Under the microscope, the dense-compacted regions take up more dye, appearing darker, while the less-compact areas take up less dye and appear lighter. Based on the compaction level, chromatins are classified into two primary forms – euchromatin and heterochromatin.
Euchromatin is the less dense region of the chromatin and stains lighter. Euchromatin contains histone H3 extensively...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Antibiotics stimulate protein transfer to persister cells.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Active processes shape and move the genome and nucleoplasm.

Current opinion in genetics & development·2026
Same author

Mechanics and thermodynamics of the living cell, dedicated to Erich Sackmann.

Biophysical journal·2026
Same author

Ion-triggered reconfigurable hydrogels with salt-enhanced mechanical and swelling properties via network topological adaptation.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Implantable living materials autonomously deliver therapeutics using contained engineered bacteria.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Rapid fabrication of solvent-compatible NOA 81 microfluidic devices for double-emulsion microfluidics.

Lab on a chip·2026
Same journal

The TaMYB55-TaSnRK1α1-TabZIP9 module confers heat stress tolerance in wheat.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Superstatistics approach to turbulent circulation fluctuations.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

A molecular timescale for evolution of cobamide biosynthesis.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Pierre Chambon, a pioneer of molecular biology and gene regulation in eukaryotes.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Granulosa cell glycogen fuels the avascular corpus luteum.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Synthetic essentiality of TRAIL/TNFSF10 in VHL-deficient renal cell carcinoma.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

Examination of Mitotic and Meiotic Fission Yeast Nuclear Dynamics by Fluorescence Live-cell Microscopy
12:04

Examination of Mitotic and Meiotic Fission Yeast Nuclear Dynamics by Fluorescence Live-cell Microscopy

Published on: June 24, 2019

Micron-scale coherence in interphase chromatin dynamics.

Alexandra Zidovska1, David A Weitz, Timothy J Mitchison

  • 1Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|September 11, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Chromatin moves coherently across large nuclear regions, a process dependent on ATP and nuclear ATPases. DNA damage disrupts this large-scale motion, suggesting a role in DNA damage responses.

Keywords:
active materialsself-organizationsoft matter

More Related Videos

Single-Molecule Measurement of Protein Interaction Dynamics Within Biomolecular Condensates
06:48

Single-Molecule Measurement of Protein Interaction Dynamics Within Biomolecular Condensates

Published on: January 5, 2024

In-Nucleus Hi-C in Drosophila Cells
11:58

In-Nucleus Hi-C in Drosophila Cells

Published on: September 15, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 8, 2026

Examination of Mitotic and Meiotic Fission Yeast Nuclear Dynamics by Fluorescence Live-cell Microscopy
12:04

Examination of Mitotic and Meiotic Fission Yeast Nuclear Dynamics by Fluorescence Live-cell Microscopy

Published on: June 24, 2019

Single-Molecule Measurement of Protein Interaction Dynamics Within Biomolecular Condensates
06:48

Single-Molecule Measurement of Protein Interaction Dynamics Within Biomolecular Condensates

Published on: January 5, 2024

In-Nucleus Hi-C in Drosophila Cells
11:58

In-Nucleus Hi-C in Drosophila Cells

Published on: September 15, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Chromatin structure and dynamics are crucial for DNA biology but remain poorly understood at large length scales.
  • Understanding large-scale chromatin organization and movement is key to deciphering nuclear processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and apply a novel method for mapping whole-nucleus chromatin dynamics.
  • To investigate the scale, nature, and regulation of chromatin movement in human cells.

Main Methods:

  • Developed displacement correlation spectroscopy (DCS) using time-resolved image correlation analysis.
  • Applied DCS to map simultaneous chromatin dynamics across the entire nucleus in cultured human cells.

Main Results:

  • Revealed coherent chromatin motion across large regions (4-5 µm) lasting several seconds.
  • Demonstrated that these large-scale motions are ATP-dependent and unidirectional.
  • Showed that perturbing nuclear ATPases (DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase II, topoisomerase II) eliminated micron-scale coherence and uncoupled local motions.
  • Observed similar trends in chromatin dynamics upon induction of direct DNA damage.

Conclusions:

  • Large-scale chromatin motion is a significant feature of nuclear organization, extending beyond chromosome territories.
  • ATP-dependent nuclear ATPases play a critical role in mediating long-range chromatin coherence.
  • DNA damage response pathways may physically relax chromatin, disrupting long-distance force communication.