Figure 5.

Chromosome neighborhood arrangements change during prometaphase. (A–C) Live cell sequence recorded from a RPE-1 prophase nucleus (0 min) through mitosis into G₁ (150 min). A small area of fluorescent paGFP-H4 (∼5%) was marked at the nuclear border (0 min). Light optical serial sections were recorded every ten minutes (images recorded at 30–70 min not shown). Left column: Maximum intensity projections show chromatin labeled with fluorescent paGFP-H4 (green) within total chromatin labeled exclusively with mRFP-H2B (red-only). At early prometaphase (10 min) green-labeled segments of chromosomes derived from the marked area of the prophase nucleus were already separated by red-only chromosomes. The proximity pattern established at metaphase (80 min) was largely maintained through anaphase-telophase (90 min) and into G₁ (100–150 min). Middle and right columns: In order to follow individual movements, labeled chromosomes were color-coded. Panels display images from 3D reconstructions recorded as top views (middle, 0–120 min; right 130–150 min) and side views (right, 0–120 min; compare Fig. S3 for fully rotatable 3D reconstructions). Note the mirror like symmetry of color-coded chromosomes during the transition from anaphase rosettes into G₁ nuclei.