ChIC and ChEC; genomic mapping of chromatin proteins

Mol Cell. 2004 Oct 8;16(1):147-57. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2004.09.007.

Abstract

To map the genomic interaction sites of chromatin proteins, two related methods were developed and experimentally explored in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The ChIC method (chromatin immunocleavage) consists of tethering a fusion protein (pA-MN) consisting of micrococcal nuclease (MN) and staphylococcal protein A to specifically bound antibodies. The nuclease is kept inactive during the tethering process (no Ca2+). The ChEC method (chromatin endogenous cleavage) consists of expressing fusion proteins in vivo, where MN is C-terminally fused to the proteins of interest. The specifically tethered nucleases are activated with Ca2+ ions to locally introduce double-stranded DNA breaks. We demonstrate that ChIC and ChEC map proteins with a 100-200 bp resolution and excellent specificity. One version of the method is applicable to formaldehyde-fixed nuclei, another to native cells with comparable results. Among various model experiments, these methods were used to address the conformation of yeast telomeres.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies*
  • Antibody Specificity
  • Chromatin / genetics
  • Chromatin / metabolism
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / genetics
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / metabolism*
  • Micrococcal Nuclease*
  • Protein Interaction Mapping / methods*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism
  • Staphylococcal Protein A*
  • TATA-Box Binding Protein / metabolism
  • Telomere / metabolism

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Chromatin
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone
  • Staphylococcal Protein A
  • TATA-Box Binding Protein
  • Micrococcal Nuclease