The inability to repair damaged DNA severely compromises the integrity of any organism. In eukaryotes, the DNA damage response (DDR) operates within chromatin, a tightly organized DNA-histone complex in a non-random manner within the nucleus. Chromatin thus orchestrates various cellular processes, including repair. Here, we examine the chromatin landscape before, during, and after the DNA damage, focusing on double strand breaks (DSBs). We study how chromatin is modified during the repair process, not only around the damaged region (in cis), but also genome-wide (in trans). Recent evidence has highlighted a complex landscape in which different chromatin parameters (stiffness, compaction, loops) are transiently modified, defining "codes" for each specific stage of the DDR. We illustrate a novel aspect of DDR where chromatin modifications contribute to the movement of DSB-damaged chromatin, as well as undamaged chromatin, ensuring the mobilization of DSBs, their clustering, and their repair processes.
Keywords: chromatin dynamics; chromosome organization; double strand break.