Chromatin dynamics in DNA double-strand break repair

Chromatin is organized and segmented into a landscape of domains that serve multiple purposes. In contrast to transcription, which is controlled by defined sequences and initiates at distinct sites, DNA damage can occur anywhere in the genome. Repair accordingly must occur everywhere, yet it is inevitably affected by its chromatin environment. In this introduction, an expanded version of a published review, we summarize recent work investigating how changes in chromatin organization facilitate and/or guide DNA double-strand break repair. I specifically assess how breaks are repaired, and by which repair pathways, in heterochromatin or euchromatin. I examine recent live-cell studies on the dynamics of chromatin and the mechanisms that regulate its movement, and discuss the role of polymer models in our quest to understand DNA damage repair and repair pathway choice.