Chromatin immunoprecipitation
Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (pronounced kroh-muh-tin im-yuh-noh-pri-si-pey-shuhn), often abbreviated as ChIP, is a type of molecular biology technique that is used to investigate the interaction between proteins and DNA in a cell.
Etymology
The term "Chromatin Immunoprecipitation" is derived from three words: "chromatin", "immune", and "precipitation". "Chromatin" is a complex of DNA and protein that condenses to form chromosomes during cell division. "Immunoprecipitation" refers to the technique of precipitating a protein antigen out of solution using an antibody that specifically binds to that particular protein.
Procedure
The ChIP procedure involves cross-linking proteins and DNA in the cell using a chemical such as formaldehyde, then shearing the DNA into small fragments. The protein of interest is then immunoprecipitated using a specific antibody, and the cross-links are reversed to free the DNA. The DNA is then purified and analyzed to identify the sequences that were bound by the protein.
Applications
ChIP is a powerful tool for studying gene expression and epigenetic regulation. It can be used to identify the binding sites of transcription factors, to map histone modifications, and to investigate DNA-protein interactions in general.
Related Terms
- ChIP-sequencing: A method that combines ChIP with next-generation sequencing to identify the binding sites of DNA-associated proteins.
- ChIP-on-chip: A technique that combines ChIP with microarray technology to identify the binding sites of DNA-associated proteins.
- ChIP-exo: A refined version of ChIP-seq that provides higher resolution mapping of protein-DNA interactions.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Chromatin immunoprecipitation
- Wikipedia's article - Chromatin immunoprecipitation
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