Chromatin & Transcription

Chromatin structures are regulated by various mechanisms including histone modification and chromatin remodeling, which involve the binding of transcription factors. By using tools such as chromatin immunoprecipitation, it is possible to gain further insight into the dynamic interactions between transcription proteins and components of chromatin, and to ultimately understand their roles in cellular functions such as gene transcription and epigenetic silencing.

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation

Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is an antibody-based method used for determining the location of DNA binding sites on the genome for a particular protein of interest. This technique is a convenient means for studying protein-DNA interactions that occur inside the nucleus of cells and for understanding cellular processes. Downstream applications of ChIP include ChIP-sequencing, ChIP-PCR, and ChIP-on-chip (microarrays).

ChIP-seq

CUT&RUN

CUT&RUN, or Cleavage Under Targets & Release Using Nuclease, is a protein-DNA interaction analysis technology that combines antibody-based targeting and micrococcal nuclease with qPCR or next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify DNA binding sites of protein-DNA complexes. CUT&RUN can address the practical and cost-related limitations of ChIP-seq.

In Vitro Protein-DNA Interaction

Measurement of direct interactions between protein and DNA in vitro has an advantage in analyzing the binding of different transcription factors to specific DNA consensus sequences located in the gene promoters. By investigating protein-DNA interaction in vitro, it is possible to identify the genetic targets of DNA, which leads to a better understanding of cellular processes.

Chromatin Accessibility