M.F. Dix, P. Liu, G. Cui, D. Valle, V. Orlando, M. Aranda(2023). "Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) in the coral model system Exaiptasia diaphana". JoVE, 2023 Mar 17;(193). doi: 10.3791/64817. PMID: 37010313
Abstract
Histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) and other epigenetic
modifications regulate the chromatin accessibility of genes to the
transcriptional machinery, thus affecting an organism's capacity to
respond to environmental stimuli. Chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled
with high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq) has been widely utilized to
identify and map protein-DNA interactions in the fields of epigenetics
and gene regulation. However, the field of cnidarian epigenetics is
hampered by a lack of applicable protocols, partly due to the unique
features of model organisms such as the symbiotic sea anemone Exaiptasia
diaphana, whose high water content and mucus amounts obstruct molecular
methods. Here, a specialized ChIP procedure is presented, which
facilitates the investigation of protein-DNA interactions in E. diaphana
gene regulation. The cross-linking and chromatin extraction steps were
optimized for efficient immunoprecipitation and then validated by
performing ChIP using an antibody against the histone mark H3K4me3.
Subsequently, the specificity and effectiveness of the ChIP assay were
confirmed by measuring the relative occupancy of H3K4me3 around several
constitutively activated gene loci using quantitative PCR and by
next-generation sequencing for genome-wide scale analysis. This
optimized ChIP protocol for the symbiotic sea anemone E. diaphana
facilitates the investigation of the protein-DNA interactions involved
in organismal responses to environmental changes that affect symbiotic
cnidarians, such as corals.