High-resolution Mapping and Characterization of Open Chromatin Across the Genome

Overview

Journal Cell

Publisher Cell Press

Specialty Cell Biology

Date 2008 Feb 5

PMID 18243105

Citations 816

Authors

Alan P Boyle

Sean Davis

Hennady P Shulha

Paul Meltzer

Elliott H Margulies

Zhiping Weng

Terrence S Furey

Gregory E Crawford

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Mapping DNase I hypersensitive (HS) sites is an accurate method of identifying the location of genetic regulatory elements, including promoters, enhancers, silencers, insulators, and locus control regions. We employed high-throughput sequencing and whole-genome tiled array strategies to identify DNase I HS sites within human primary CD4+ T cells. Combining these two technologies, we have created a comprehensive and accurate genome-wide open chromatin map. Surprisingly, only 16%-21% of the identified 94,925 DNase I HS sites are found in promoters or first exons of known genes, but nearly half of the most open sites are in these regions. In conjunction with expression, motif, and chromatin immunoprecipitation data, we find evidence of cell-type-specific characteristics, including the ability to identify transcription start sites and locations of different chromatin marks utilized in these cells. In addition, and unexpectedly, our analyses have uncovered detailed features of nucleosome structure.

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