Multi-scale structure of chromatin condensates explains phase separation and material properties

The structure and interaction networks of molecules within biomolecular condensates are poorly understood. Using cryo-electron tomography and molecular dynamics simulations, we elucidated the structure of phase separated chromatin condensates across scales, from individual amino acids to network architecture. We found that internucleosomal DNA linker length controls nucleosome arrangement and histone tail interactions, shaping the structure of individual chromatin molecules within and outside condensates. This structural modulation determines the balance between intra- and intermolecular interactions, which governs the molecular network, thermodynamic stability, and material properties of chromatin condensates. Mammalian nuclei contain dense clusters of nucleosomes whose non-random organization is mirrored by the reconstituted condensates. Our work explains how the structure of individual chromatin molecules determines physical properties of chromatin condensates and cellular chromatin organization.