HP1a promotes chromatin liquidity and drives spontaneous heterochromatin compartmentalization

Compartmentalization of the nucleus into heterochromatin and euchromatin is highly conserved across eukaryotes. Constitutive heterochromatin (C-Het) constitutes a liquid-like condensate that packages the repetitive regions of the genome through the enrichment of histone modification H3K9me3 and recruitment of its cognate reader protein Heterochromatin Protein-1 (HP1a). The ability for well-ordered nucleosome arrays and HP1a to independently form biomolecular condensates suggests that the emergent material properties of C-Het compartments may contribute to its functions such as force-buffering, dosage-dependent gene silencing, and selective permeability. Using an in vitro reconstitution system we directly assess the contributions of H3K9me3 and HP1a on the biophysical properties of C-Het. In the presence of HP1a, H3K9me3 (Me-) and unmodified (U-) chromatin form co-condensates composed of distinct, immiscible domains. These chromatin domains form spontaneously and are reversible. Independently of HP1a, H3K9me3 modifications are sufficient to increase linker-DNA length within chromatin arrays and slow chromatin condensate growth. HP1a increases the liquidity of chromatin condensates while dramatically differentiating the viscoelastic properties of Me-chromatin versus U-chromatin. Mutating key residues in HP1a show that HP1a interactions with itself and chromatin determine the relative interfacial tension between chromatin compartments, however the formation of condensates is driven by the underlying chromatin. These direct measurements map the energetic landscape that determines C-Het compartmentalization, demonstrating that nuclear compartmentalization is a spontaneous and energetically favorable process in which HP1a plays a critical role in establishing a hierarchy of affinities between H3K9me3-chromatin and unmodified-chromatin. Highlights HP1a is necessary and sufficient for heterochromatin compartmentalization. Heterochromatin compartmentalization is reversible and proceeds through microphase-separation. H3K9me3 is sufficient to change nucleosome-array dynamics and mesoscale material properties. HP1a increases chromatin liquidity. HP1a-chromatin interaction modes tune the interfacial tensions and morphologies of heterochromatin compartments.