BRD4 phosphorylation regulates the structure of chromatin nanodomains

Abstract

The interplay between chromatin structure and phase-separating proteins is an emerging topic in cell biology with implications for understanding disease states. Here, we investigate the functional relationship between bromodomain protein 4 (BRD4) and chromatin architecture. By combining molecular dynamics simulations with live-cell imaging, we demonstrate that BRD4, when mutated at specific N-terminus sites, significantly impacts nucleosome nanodomain (NN) organization and dynamics. Our findings reveal that enhanced chromatin binding activity of BRD4 condenses NNs, while both loss or gain of BRD4 chromatin binding reduced diffusion of single nucleosomes, suggesting a role for BRD4 in the regulation of nanoscale chromatin architecture and the chromatin microenvironment. These observations shed light on the nuanced regulation of chromatin structure by BRD4, offering insights into its role in maintaining the nuclear architecture and transcriptional activity.