Telomeric chromosome ends are highly mobile and behave like free double-strand DNA breaks

Chromosome organization and dynamics are critical for DNA transactions, including gene expression, replication, and DNA repair. In yeast, the chromosomes are anchored through their centromeres to the spindle pole body, and their telomeres are grouped into clusters at the nuclear periphery, constraining chromosome mobility. Here, we have used experimental and computational approaches to study the effects of chromosome-nuclear envelope (NE) attachments on the dynamics of S. cerevisiae chromosomes. We found that although centromere proximal loci were, as predicted, more dynamically constrained than distal loci, telomeres were highly mobile, even when positioned at the nuclear periphery. Polymer modeling indicated that polymer ends are intrinsically more mobile than internal sites. We tested this model by measuring the mobility of a double strand break (DSB) end within a chromosome arm. Upon separation of the DSB ends, their mobility significantly increased. Altogether, our results reveal that telomeres behave as highly mobile polymer ends, despite interactions with the nuclear membrane.