Encoded, click-reactive DNA-binding domains for programmable capture of specific chromatin segments

Reverse-ChIP Techniques for Identifying Locus-Specific Proteomes: A Key Tool in Unlocking the Cancer Regulome

A phenotypic hallmark of cancer is aberrant transcriptional regulation. Transcriptional regulation is controlled by a complicated array of molecular factors, including the presence of transcription factors, the deposition of histone post-translational modifications, and long-range DNA interactions. Determining the molecular identity and function of these various factors is necessary to understand specific aspects of cancer biology and reveal potential therapeutic targets. Regulation of the genome by specific factors is typically studied using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-Seq) that identifies genome-wide binding interactions through the use of factor-specific antibodies. A long-standing goal in many laboratories has been the development of a 'reverse-ChIP' approach to identify unknown binding partners at loci of interest. A variety of strategies have been employed to enable the selective biochemical purification of sequence-defined chromatin regions, including single-copy loci, and the subsequent analytical detection of associated proteins. This review covers mass spectrometry techniques that enable quantitative proteomics before providing a survey of approaches toward the development of strategies for the purification of sequence-specific chromatin as a 'reverse-ChIP' technique. A fully realized reverse-ChIP technique holds great potential for identifying cancer-specific targets and the development of personalized therapeutic regimens.

Enhancing Physical and Thermodynamic Properties of DNA Storage Sets with End-constraint

With the explosion of data, DNA is considered as an ideal carrier for storage due to its high storage density. However, low-quality DNA sets hamper the widespread use of DNA storage. This work proposes a new method to design high-quality DNA storage sets. Firstly, random switch and double-weight offspring strategies are introduced in Double-strategy Black Widow Optimization Algorithm (DBWO). Experimental results of 26 benchmark functions show that the exploration and exploitation abilities of DBWO are greatly improved from previous work. Secondly, DBWO is applied in designing DNA storage sets, and compared with previous work, the lower bounds of storage sets are boosted by 9%-37%. Finally, to improve the poor stabilities of sequences, the End-constraint is proposed in designing DNA storage sets. By measuring the number of hairpin structures, melting temperature, and minimum free energy, it is evaluated that with our innovative constraint, DBWO can construct not only a larger number of storage sets, but also enhance physical and thermodynamic properties of DNA storage sets.