This protocol describes an in vitro transcription assay that allows for a single round of transcription from in vitro assembled chromatin. Comparing the activity of a receptor or transcriptional coactivator in an assay that measures only a single round of transcription with the results from multiple rounds of transcription can help elucidate the mechanism of transcriptional activation by those factors. - [Read Assay:Single Round of In Vitro Transcription from Assembled Chromatin Templates Using a HeLa Cell Ex]
Protocol described here produces chromatin with regularly spaced nucleosomes having physiological nucleosome repeat lengths; something that can be difficult to achieve with purified components. In addition, chromatin assembled with the S-190 Chromatin Assembly Extract contains the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factors necessary for efficient transcription. - [Read Chromatin Assembly on Template DNA with Transcription Factors and Drosophila S-190 Chromatin Assembl]
This protocol describes a method for constant-flow microinjection using the Pneumatic PicoPump (World Precision Instruments). This type of system is very simple and can be assembled on a relatively low budget. In this method, a constant flow of sample is delivered from the tip of the pipette, and the amount of sample injected into the cell is determined by how long the pipette remains in the cell. - [Read Gene Delivery by Direct Injection (Microinjection) Using a Controlled-Flow System Protocol]
Protocol describes how to test whether a transcription factor disrupts the chromatin of a promoter of a gene of interest. First, chromatin is assembled in vitro on the gene of interest in the presence and absence of a transcriptional activator (see Protocol on Assembly of Chromatin with Drosophila S-190 Chromatin Assembly Extract and Transcriptional Activators). - [Read Nucleosomal Array Disruption Assay Protocol]