In diverse conditions intrinsic chromatin condensate have liquid-like material properties

The organization of eukaryotic chromatin is important in many nuclear processes. Recent studies have shown that chromatin fragments can self-assemble by phase separation into micron-scale structures in the presence of salt in vitro. There are discrepancies regarding whether these structures generally have liquid-like or solid-like behaviors, an important distinction in considering how processes such as transcription and chromosome remodeling by loop extrusion can occur in cells. Here, we resolve conflicting reports by demonstrating that chromatin condensates have liquid-like behaviors in diverse solution conditions and describing aspects of sample handling that can lead to artifactual solid-like behaviors. Our data suggest how chromatin can be dynamic on short length scales but restrained on long length scales, as observed in cells., ,