Chromatin accessibility profiling methods

Chromatin accessibility, or the physical access to chromatinized DNA, is a widely studied characteristic of eukaryotic genome. As active regulatory DNA elements are generally ‘accessible’, genome-wide profiling chromatin accessibility can be used identify candidate genomic regions in tissue cell type. Multiple biochemical methods have been developed profile both bulk and at single-cell level. Depending on method, enzymatic cleavage, transposition methyltransferases used, followed by high-throughput sequencing, providing view accessibility. In this Primer, we discuss these methods, as well bioinformatics tools for analysing interpreting generated data, insights into key regulators underlying developmental, evolutionary disease processes. We outline standards data quality, reproducibility deposition genomics community. Although invaluable study gene regulation, alone it provides only partial complex process. Orthogonal assays facilitate interpretation accessible with respect enhancer–promoter proximity, functional transcription factor binding function. envision that technological improvements including single-molecule, multi-omics spatial will bring further insight secrets genome regulation.