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The mitotic chromosome periphery modulates chromosome mechanics

Mendonca, Tania; Urban, Roman; Lucken, Kellie; Coney, George; Kad, Neil M.; Tassieri, Manlio; Wright, Amanda J.; Booth, Daniel G.

The mitotic chromosome periphery modulates chromosome mechanics Thumbnail


Authors

Roman Urban

Kellie Lucken

George Coney

Neil M. Kad

Manlio Tassieri



Contributors

Roman Urban
Researcher

Kellie Lucken
Researcher

George Coney
Researcher

Neil Kad
Project Member

Manlio Tassieri
Project Member

Abstract

In dividing cells, chromosomes are coated in a sheath of proteins and RNA called the mitotic chromosome periphery. This sheath is thought to confer biophysical properties to chromosomes, critical for successful cell division. However, the details of chromosome mechanics, and specifically, if and how the chromosome periphery contributes to them, remain poorly understood. In this study, we present a comprehensive characterisation of single-chromosome mechanics using optical tweezers and an improved broadband microrheology analysis. We extend this analysis to direct measurements of the chromosome periphery by manipulating levels of Ki-67, its chief organiser, and apply a rheological model to isolate its contribution to chromosome mechanics. We report that the chromosome periphery governs dynamic self-reorganisation of chromosomes and acts as a structural constraint, providing force-damping properties. This work provides significant insight into chromosome mechanics and will inform our understanding of the mitotic chromosome periphery’s role in cell division.

Citation

Mendonca, T., Urban, R., Lucken, K., Coney, G., Kad, N. M., Tassieri, M., Wright, A. J., & Booth, D. G. (2025). The mitotic chromosome periphery modulates chromosome mechanics. Nature Communications, 16, Article 6399. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61755-5

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jun 27, 2025
Online Publication Date Jul 10, 2025
Publication Date Jul 10, 2025
Deposit Date Jul 15, 2025
Publicly Available Date Jul 16, 2025
Journal Nature Communications
Electronic ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher Nature Publishing Group
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 16
Article Number 6399
DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61755-5
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/51610376
Publisher URL https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61755-5#

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s41467-025-61755-5 (1.8 Mb)
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Publisher Licence URL
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Copyright Statement
Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder.





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