S57 – Condensate-driven chromatin organization via elastocapillary interactions

Author Block: H. Zhao, A. Strom, J. Eeftens, N. Orlovsky, M. Haataja, A. Kosmrlj, C. Brangwynne; Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.
Biomolecular condensates in the nucleus play a pivotal role in the organization and functionality of chromatin. Here, we use light-inducible proteinaceous condensates with a wide range of binding affinities to chromatin and a novel computational model to study the complex elastocapillary interactions between condensates and chromatin. In both simulations and experiments, we found distinct regimes where condensates cavitate or engulf the chromatin network. In addition, the size and morphology of condensates as well as the compaction of chromatin are dictated by the interplay between wetting affinity and chromatin stiffness. Our method paves the way for the investigation of condensate-mediated nuclear organization and functionality.