Endogenous Real Time Imaging Reveals Dynamic Chromosomal Mobility During Ligand-Mediated Transcriptional Burst Events

Enhancers serve as the major genomic elements regulating mammalian signal-dependent transcriptional programs, characterized by alternating periods of target gene “bursting” and “non-busting” that require investigation of induced enhancer condensates and locus motility in real time to provide dynamic insights into signal/ligand-dependent regulatory events. Here, endogenous live cell imaging has revealed the altered chromosomal dynamics/condensate formation occurring during estrogen receptor a (ERa)-dependent target gene bursting/post-bursting and chronic activation events. Simultaneous DNA/RNA endogenous live imaging reveals that an increased mobility of acutely ERa-stimulated loci observed during the bursting phase is, unexpectedly, further increased in the subsequent non-burst phase. Single molecule tracking (SMT) of ERa shows that the relatively high-burst, lower-mobility acute state was indeed enriched for high-viscosity, 1,6-hexanediol-sensative ERa molecules in a low sub-diffusive confined state with enhanced condensate formation during burst activation. Consistent with this, blocking transcription with flavopiridol shifts DNA tracks into a non-confined state. Differential DNA kinetics during burst vs non-burst has provided a strategy to assess altered condensate formation during gene activation events.