Saera Hihara

Human mitotic chromosomes consist predominantly of irregularly folded nucleosome fibres without a 30-nm chromatin structure

How a long strand of genomic DNA is compacted into a mitotic chromosome remains one of the basic questions in biology. The nucleosome fibre, in which DNA is wrapped around core histones, has long been assumed to be folded into a 30‐nm chromatin fibre and further hierarchical regular structures to form mitotic chromosomes, although the actual existence of these regular structures is controversial. Here, we show that human mitotic HeLa chromosomes are mainly composed of irregularly folded nucleosome fibres rather than 30‐nm chromatin fibres. Our comprehensive and quantitative study using cryo‐electron microscopy and synchrotron X‐ray scattering resolved the long‐standing contradictions regarding the existence of 30‐nm chromatin structures and detected no regular structure >11 nm. Our finding suggests that the mitotic chromosome consists of irregularly arranged nucleosome fibres, with a fractal nature, which permits a more dynamic and flexible genome organization than would be allowed by static regular structures.

Chromosomes without a 30-nm chromatin fiber

How is a long strand of genomic DNA packaged into a mitotic chromosome or nucleus? The nucleosome fiber (beads-on-a-string), in which DNA is wrapped around core histones, has long been assumed to be folded into a 30-nm chromatin fiber, and a further helically folded larger fiber. However, when frozen hydrated human mitotic cells were observed using cryoelectron microscopy, no higher-order structures that included 30-nm chromatin fibers were found. To investigate the bulk structure of mitotic chromosomes further, we performed small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), which can detect periodic structures in noncrystalline materials in solution. The results were striking: no structural feature larger than 11 nm was detected, even at a chromosome-diameter scale (~1 μm). We also found a similar scattering pattern in interphase nuclei of HeLa cells in the range up to ~275 nm. Our findings suggest a common structural feature in interphase and mitotic chromatins: compact and irregular folding of nucleosome fibers occurs without a 30-nm chromatin structure.

Local Nucleosome Dynamics Facilitate Chromatin Accessibility in Living Mammalian Cells

Genome information, which is three-dimensionally organized within cells as chromatin, is searched and read by various proteins for diverse cell functions. Although how the protein factors find their targets remains unclear, the dynamic and flexible nature of chromatin is likely crucial. Using a combined approach of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, single-nucleosome imaging, and Monte Carlo computer simulations, we demonstrate local chromatin dynamics in living mammalian cells. We show that similar to interphase chromatin, dense mitotic chromosomes also have considerable chromatin accessibility. For both interphase and mitotic chromatin, we observed local fluctuation of individual nucleosomes (~50 nm movement/30 ms), which is caused by confined Brownian motion. Inhibition of these local dynamics by crosslinking impaired accessibility in the dense chromatin regions. Our findings show that local nucleosome dynamics drive chromatin accessibility. We propose that this local nucleosome fluctuation is the basis for scanning genome information.

Flexible and dynamic nucleosome fiber in living mammalian cells.

Genomic DNA is organized three dimensionally within cells as chromatin and is searched and read by various proteins by an unknown mechanism; this mediates diverse cell functions. Recently, several pieces of evidence, including our cryomicroscopy and synchrotron X-ray scattering analyses, have demonstrated that chromatin consists of irregularly folded nucleosome fibers without a 30-nm chromatin fiber (i.e., a polymer melt-like structure). This melt-like structure implies a less physically constrained and locally more dynamic state, which may be crucial for protein factors to scan genomic DNA. Using a combined approach of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, Monte Carlo computer simulations, and single nucleosome imaging, we demonstrated the flexible and dynamic nature of the nucleosome fiber in living mammalian cells. We observed local nucleosome fluctuation (~50 nm movement per 30 ms) caused by Brownian motion. Our in vivo-in silico results suggest that local nucleosome dynamics facilitate chromatin accessibility and play a critical role in the scanning of genome information.

Nuclear size, nuclear pore number and cell cycle

In eukaryotic cells, the nucleus is a complex and sophisticated organelle containing genomic DNA, and supports essential cellular activities. Its surface contains many nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), channels for macromolecular transport between the cytoplasm and nucleus. It has been observed that the nuclear volume and the number of NPCs almost doubles during interphase in dividing cells, but the coordination of these events with the cell cycle was poorly understood, particularly in mammalian cells. Recently, we demonstrated that cyclin-dependent protein kinases (Cdks) control interphase NPC formation in dividing human cells. Cdks drive the very early step of NPC formation because Cdk inhibition suppressed the generation of “nascent pores,” which are considered to be immature NPCs, and disturbed expression and localization of some nucleoporins. Cdk inhibition did not affect nuclear volume, suggesting that these two processes have distinct regulatory mechanisms in the cell cycle. The details of our experimental systems and finding are discussed in more depth. With new findings recently reported, we also discuss possible molecular mechanisms of interphase NPC formation.

New Insight into the Mitotic Chromosome Structure Irregular Folding of Nucleosome Fibers Without 30-nm Chromatin Structure

Mitotic chromosomes are essential structures for the faithful transmission of replicated genomic DNA into two daughter cells during cell division. A long strand of DNA is wrapped around a core histone and forms a nucleosome. The nucleosome has long been assumed to be folded into 30-nm chromatin fibers. However, how the nucleosome or 30-nm chromatin fiber is organized into mitotic chromosomes remains unclear, although condensins and topoisomerase IIα are implicated in the condensation process. In fact, what do mitotic chromosomes look like in living cells? When frozen hydrated human mitotic cells were observed using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), higher-order structures including 30-nm chromatin fibers were not found. We thus propose that the nucleosome fibers in the bulk of mitotic chromosomes do not form 30-nm chromatin fibers but instead exist in a highly irregular state that is locally similar to a polymer melt. We provide new insight into mitotic chromosome structure.