Modelling the mechanisms of mitotic chromosome condensation with polymer simulations

• Applicant: Amanda Souza Câmara, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Plant Genetics and Genomics ; General Genetics and Functional Genome Biology ; Structural Biology
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 505334275

Genetic information of all eukaryotes is stored in DNA, a meter-long biomolecule. How do meters of DNA fit into a cell nucleus of a few micrometers diameter? Not randomly – the orderly organization of DNA into chromosomes is essential for many biological processes. For example, chromosome condensation is required during cell division to pass on genetic material to the next generation. But how exactly chromosomes condense to micrometer-sized rods is still poorly understood. My aim is to elucidate some of the steps in this complex process – what drives the compaction of chromosomes from prophase to metaphase? What are the possible shapes that the chromosome can adopt in this process? Does the compaction require a protein scaffold? And finally, how do chromosomes decondense towards interphase? I will use concepts of polymer physics to address the dynamics of chromosomes as very long biomolecules and build three-dimensional models with computer simulations to explain the different shapes of chromosomes across the cell cycle and between different species. The comparison with experimental data (microscopy images and chromosome conformation capture sequencing) will favor some models over others, revealing which chromosome conformations are more likely and which condensation mechanism lies behind them. The final goal is to find general rules that govern the process of chromosome condensation.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants