Simultaneous imaging of chromatin fractal dimensions and temperature in living cell nucleus

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K14655
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: System genome science
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (2017); Hiroshima University (2016)
• Principal Investigator: Shinkai Soya 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 生命システム研究センター, 研究員 (60547058)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 菅原 武志 広島大学, 理学研究科, 特任助教 (60713005)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): OKABE Kohki 東京大学, 薬学系研究科, 助教 (20455398) ; OCHIAI Hiroshi 広島大学, 理学研究科, 特任講師 (60640753)
• Research Collaborator: TAKEDA Shunsuke
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: クロマチン構造 / フラクタル次元 / 蛍光寿命イメージング / 染色体構造

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Each human cell contains total 2 meter of genomic DNA in a cell nucleus with a 10-micro-meter diameter. How chromatin fibers spatially condense is unclear. In this study, we tried to spatially quantify fractal dimensions, which are mathematical barometers for any structures, of chromatin fibers in living cells. The method is based on energy transfer between two fluorescent probes on fractal structures. The efficiency depends on fractal dimensions. Therefore, we made cells with two fluorescent probes on chromatin fibers. Finally, we developed an imaging method to spatially quantify fractal dimensions of chromatin fibers.

Free Research Field

生物物理