Figure 4

Cartoon of Oct4 dynamics in nuclei of undifferentiated or early-differentiated cells. To simplify the scheme, we represented a bead-on-string structure of chromatin and did not illustrate in the cartoon differences in Oct4-chromatin interactions lifetimes. Oct4 diffusing molecules engage in short-lived and long-lived interactions with chromatin in the nucleoplasm (I) or at chromatin-dense foci (II). Short-lived interactions last longer in these structures. 2i/LIF withdrawal triggers the formation of a higher number of foci (central panel). In the nucleoplasm of early-differentiated cells, the short- and long-lived lifetimes of Oct4-chromatin interactions decrease while the proportion of freely diffusing Oct4 molecules increases (III). In contrast, the dynamics of the TF does not change at foci (IV).