Zidovska, AlexandraWeitz, David A.Mitchison, Timothy J.2019-10-092013Zidovska, A., D. A. Weitz, and T. J. Mitchison. 2013. “Micron-Scale Coherence in Interphase Chromatin Dynamics.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences110 (39): 15555–60. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1220313110.0027-84240744-28311091-6490http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:41511317Chromatin structure and dynamics control all aspects of DNA biology yet are poorly understood, especially at large length scales. We developed an approach, displacement correlation spectroscopy based on time-resolved image correlation analysis, to map chromatin dynamics simultaneously across the whole nucleus in cultured human cells. This method revealed that chromatin movement was coherent across large regions (4-5 mu m) for several seconds. Regions of coherent motion extended beyond the boundaries of single-chromosome territories, suggesting elastic coupling of motion over length scales much larger than those of genes. These large-scale, coupled motions were ATP dependent and unidirectional for several seconds, perhaps accounting for ATP-dependent directed movement of single genes. Perturbation of major nuclear ATPases such as DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase II, and topoisomerase II eliminated micron-scale coherence, while causing rapid, local movement to increase; i.e., local motions accelerated but became uncoupled from their neighbors. We observe similar trends in chromatin dynamics upon inducing a direct DNA damage; thus we hypothesize that this may be due to DNA damage responses that physically relax chromatin and block long-distance communication of forces.en-USJournal Article2019-10-0910.1073/pnas.1220313110