Check out our latest work in collaboration with @kazu-maeshima.bsky.social and @masaashimazoe.bsky.social

We show that H1 is a dynamic, multivalent “liquid-like” glue of chromatin in cells: it bridges multiple nucleosomes & exchanges partners frequently to enable both compaction and flexibility

I am not afraid to say it: this is the most fundamental advance in our understanding of chromatin structure since the zig-zag fiber model. Congratulations!

Thank you so much! That means a lot to me. I’m really happy to see the paper finally out.

A molecular dynamics simulation of nucleosomes and linker histone H1 with single-H1 trajectories (background).

A new model provides insight into chromatin organization and dynamics in living cells.

Learn more in this week’s issue of #ScienceAdvances: https://scim.ag/4sYMeyS

Our H1 paper is out #ScienceAdvances:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@masaashimazoe.bsky.social et al. reveal that linker histone H1 acts as a liquid-like glue to organize chromatin in live cells. 🎉 Fantastic collab with @rcollepardo.bsky.social @janhuemar.bsky.social and others—huge thanks! 🙌 1/

Q. What is the benefit of a liquid-like “glue”?

A. Fluidity makes transcription, DNA replication, repair, and other reactions easier. In other words, H1 helps keep chromatin compact, yet still accessible!

Finally, I truly appreciate the contributions of all the authors!
(5/5)

Huge thanks to Rosana @rcollepardo.bsky.social , Jan @janhuemar.bsky.social , Charlie, and Stephen! 🙌
Their simulations revealed in stunning detail how H1 and nucleosomes interact.
I was amazed—so consistent with our experiments! 🔬💻
(4/n)

Single molecule imaging revealed that H1 behaves like a liquid inside chromatin! 🫧
It's amazing to witness how H1 behaves in living cells 🔬✨
(3/n)

H1 is the most abundant chromatin protein, condensing chromatin—but how? 🤔
The textbook model suggests H1 stabilizes 30-nm fiber, but recent studies dispute this. So, what's the true mechanism?
We think: H1 acts as a liquid-like "glue"! (2/n)

My first, first author paper is now on #ScienceAdvances !

Linker histone H1 is a liquid-like "glue" condensing chromatin, which revises textbooks! 📖✨
science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…

Huge thanks to @kazu-maeshima.bsky.social , for supervision.
Amazing collab with @rcollepardo.bsky.social ’s group! 1/

My student Aoi Otsuka ’s PhD work is now officially published @csf-jscb.bsky.social! 🔬 Single-nucleosome imaging uncovers biphasic local chromatin dynamics in an oncogene-inducible human carcinogenesis model (1–3 d: same, 5–7 d: ↑, back by week 4). Congrats! www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/csf/...

My PhD students Aoi Otsuka @masaashimazoe.bsky.social et al. published @csf-jscb.bsky.social 🎉 Single-nucleosome imaging in an oncogene-inducible human carcinogenesis model shows biphasic chromatin dynamics (1–3 d same; 5–7 d ↑; back by week 4). Congrats! 👉
doi.org/10.1247/csf....

Excited to share our latest fully in-house paper! 🎉
We show how cohesin integrates loop extrusion with sister tethering to guide the homology search during DNA repair.

Huge congratulations to all authors, and to @fedeteloni.bsky.social for leading this work 👏
We’re excited to see his next steps!

Cohesin guides homology search during DNA repair using loops and sister chromatid linkages Accurate repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is essential for genome stability, and defective repair underlies diseases such as cancer. Homologous recombination uses an intact homologous sequenc...

I am happy to share that my postdoctoral work in the @gerlichlab.bsky.social at @imbavienna.bsky.social is finally out 🎉!
Our study reveals how cohesin guides focused and accurate homology search.
Read more 👉 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Follow along for key insights and updates! 🧵

Our Science paper is out!

Huge congratulations to @huabin-zhou.bsky.social, Mike Rosen, and the brilliant @janhuemar.bsky.social @juliamaristany.bsky.social and @kieran-russell.bsky.social from our group

News: bit.ly/4avnkAr and bit.ly/3XBGVHS

Great perspective by @vram142.bsky.social +K Zhang

A new, nerdy paper. We figured out (some) of the rules underlying cell-permeability of probes and designed ligands that light up, grab, and move proteins around. Awesome @hhmijanelia.bsky.social x @uwmadison.bsky.social x @stjuderesearch.bsky.social collaboration! www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Check out our new work, led by talented @janhuemar.bsky.social, where we uncover that pioneer factor Oct4 remodels chromatin for DNA access not by opening it but by exploiting nucleosome breathing and forming clusters 🔥🔥🔥

A rendering of multiple Oct4 molecules bound to a chromatin fibre

🚨 🚨 🚨 New preprint alert!!! 🚨 🚨 🚨
In the past, we have learnt that Oct4 can induce nucleosome breathing on the mono-nucleosome level.
But what happens when you have a fibre of multiple nucleosomes?
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@rcollepardo.bsky.social @juliamaristany.bsky.social

Architects of molecular cages win Chemistry Nobel Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi honored for developing metal-organic frameworks

This year’s #NobelPrize in Chemistry has gone to the architects of molecular “cages” that could be used for everything from carbon capture to drug delivery. https://scim.ag/4mTE1Z6

Medicine Nobel goes to three researchers who identified immune system’s security guards Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi discovered regulatory T cells that prevent autoimmune disease

This year’s #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to three scientists for discovering how the immune system distinguishes friend from foe. https://scim.ag/3Wt5rdi

@kazu_maeshima from the Genome Dynamics Laboratory at the National Institute of Genetics (@NIG_idenken) will present groundbreaking research on chromatin organization and behavior in live cells revealed by super-resolution imaging. nyulangone.zoom.us/webinar/regi... #chromatin2025

Condensed chromatin domain structure and cohesin-constrained mobility assure independent transcription regulation for each domain!
Also consistent with many previous studies.
(4/n)

We got a clue to my unsolved question from high school 🌱
“Chromatin loop organization insulates transcription”—a schematic I once scribbled in my textbook like this.
But ever since, I’ve wondered: How can neighboring loops avoid interacting?
(3/n)

Is euchromatin really “open”? Our new study @bioRxiv suggests otherwise. Using super-resolution imaging @shiori-iida.bsky.social‬ @masaashimazoe.bsky.social reveals: Euchromatin forms condensed domains in live cells. Cohesin constrains them and prevents domain mixing.
www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...

One more movie!
Using the RL algorithm (from pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...),
@masaashimazoe.bsky.social analyzed our nucleosome tracking data and classified them by their mobility.
Hotter color = faster motion (Slow🔵→ 🟢 → 🟡 → 🟠 Fast)

All efforts by coauthors made this happen! :
@katsuminami.bsky.social, Tamura-san, Ashwin-san, Higashi-san, Nishiyama-san, Kanemaki-san, Sasai-san, @lschermelleh.bsky.social ‬, Toyoda-san, Kurokawa-san.
And, as always, I deeply appreciate @kazu-maeshima.bsky.social 's supervision!
(2/n)

Euchromatin is mostly condensed⁉️

With @shiori-iida.bsky.social , We revealed the detailed structure of euchromatin using super-resolution imaging.

Cohesin regulates the function of euchromatin via chromatin dynamics!
(1/n)

RNA Pol II-based regulations of chromosome folding How transcription and cohesin complexes interact to regulate 3D genome organization remains unclear. Chapard et al. dissect their respective contributions and their interplay in shaping the genome arc...

Pleased to see this study out, combining experimental work from our lab at the @cbitoulouse.bsky.social, in particular by @nathaliebastie.bsky.social and @beckof.bsky.social, and from Laura Chaptal and @alengronne.bsky.social at IGH Montpellier
@cnrs.fr @cnrsbiologie.bsky.social

Congrats to all!

Thank you very much!
Hope you enjoy reading!

Thank you for your kind words.
It was great to meet you, and I enjoyed your talk!