Nucleoid clustering drives stepwise expansion and segregation of replicating bacterial chromosomes

Abstract

Bacterial chromosome replication occurs in the absence of a canonical spindle apparatus; yet it reliably produces organised and segregated genomes. While both passive and active mechanisms have been investigated, DNA replication itself is a non-equilibrium process that continuously generates new genetic material and reorganizes the nucleoid. Here, we investigate how replication-driven dynamics, combined with nucleoid-associated protein (NAP) interactions, shape spatiotemporal chromosome organisation using a three-dimensional polymer model that explicitly simulates DNA synthesis. We show that NAP-mediated interactions induce dynamic clustering of DNA, generating density fluctuations in the nucleoid. When coupled to replication, these clusters undergo cycles of stress buildup and release that produce stepwise expansion dynamics consistent with experimental observations. Chromosome segregation occurs naturally in this regime, but only within a finite range of interaction strengths: weak interactions fail to structure the nucleoid, whereas strong interactions hinder replication progression. Within this optimal balance, replication also promotes the spontaneous formation of replication factories. Our results demonstrate that bacterial chromosome organisation can be understood as a non-equilibrium system in which the interplay between replication forces and protein-mediated interactions generates nucleoid mechanics, dynamics, and segregation.