A workflow for genome-wide mapping of archaeal transcription factors with ChIP-seq

Nucleic Acids Res. 2012 May;40(10):e74. doi: 10.1093/nar/gks063. Epub 2012 Feb 9.

Abstract

Deciphering the structure of gene regulatory networks across the tree of life remains one of the major challenges in postgenomic biology. We present a novel ChIP-seq workflow for the archaea using the model organism Halobacterium salinarum sp. NRC-1 and demonstrate its application for mapping the genome-wide binding sites of natively expressed transcription factors. This end-to-end pipeline is the first protocol for ChIP-seq in archaea, with methods and tools for each stage from gene tagging to data analysis and biological discovery. Genome-wide binding sites for transcription factors with many binding sites (TfbD) are identified with sensitivity, while retaining specificity in the identification the smaller regulons (bacteriorhodopsin-activator protein). Chromosomal tagging of target proteins with a compact epitope facilitates a standardized and cost-effective workflow that is compatible with high-throughput immunoprecipitation of natively expressed transcription factors. The Pique package, an open-source bioinformatics method, is presented for identification of binding events. Relative to ChIP-Chip and qPCR, this workflow offers a robust catalog of protein-DNA binding events with improved spatial resolution and significantly decreased cost. While this study focuses on the application of ChIP-seq in H. salinarum sp. NRC-1, our workflow can also be adapted for use in other archaea and bacteria with basic genetic tools.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Archaeal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Binding Sites
  • Chromatin Immunoprecipitation*
  • Genome, Archaeal
  • Halobacterium salinarum / genetics
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA*
  • Software
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*

Substances

  • Archaeal Proteins
  • Transcription Factors