Magna ChIP^®-Seq ChIP and NGS Library Preparation Kit

The 3rd edition of An Introduction to Antibodies and Their Applications provides a concise overview of some of the key features for the use of antibodies and immunochemical techniques in biological research. This handy reference guide supplements the techniques described in literature, recorded in general laboratory procedures, and described on individual product data sheets. Antibody design, development, and production are our expertise. Stringent validation of our antibodies is only one component of a comprehensive process we undertake to provide the antibodies most cited by the research community (see section Antibody Quality on page 2 for an in-depth look at our expertise).

Genome-wide mapping of DNA-protein interactions and epigenetic marks using chromatin immunoprecipitation combined with next generation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) is indispensable for many gene regulation studies. The Magna ChIPSeq Kit simplifies this technique, enabling the performance of ChIP-Seq by virtually any laboratory.

Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) has been widely adapted for the study of gene-specific and genome-wide distribution of specific DNA- and RNA-binding proteins or protein modifications. Similar to standard protein immunoprecipitation assays, ChIP involves isolation of immunocomplexes using a solid medium, such as agarose or magnetic beads, coupled to either IgG binding recombinant protein A or protein G. In a typical ChIP experiment either protein A or G is selected for enrichment depending on the antibody isotype. However, proteins A and G possess differing affinities for human and mouse IgGs. Complicating this choice, for some antibody isotypes there is affinity for both protein A and G. In addition, we have observed that independent of the isotype the affinity of a specific antibody for protein A or G can vary depending on the specific clone, purification method, and source.

Cancer is a complex disease manifestation. At its core, it remains a disease of abnormal cellular proliferation and inappropriate gene expression. In the early days, carcinogenesis was viewed simply as resulting from a collection of genetic mutations that altered the gene expression of key oncogenic genes or tumor suppressor genes leading to uncontrolled growth and disease (Virani, S et al 2012). Today, however, research is showing that carcinogenesis results from the successive accumulation of heritable genetic and epigenetic changes. Moreover, the success in how we predict, treat and overcome cancer will likely involve not only understanding the consequences of direct genetic changes that can cause cancer, but also how the epigenetic and environmental changes cause cancer (Johnson C et al 2015; Waldmann T et al 2013). Epigenetics is the study of heritable gene expression as it relates to changes in DNA structure that are not tied to changes in DNA sequence but, instead, are tied to how the nucleic acid material is read or processed via the myriad of protein-protein, protein-nucleic acid, and nucleic acid-nucleic acid interactions that ultimately manifest themselves into a specific expression phenotype (Ngai SC et al 2012, Johnson C et al 2015). This review will discuss some of the principal aspects of epigenetic research and how they relate to our current understanding of carcinogenesis. Because epigenetics affects phenotype and changes in epigenetics are thought to be key to environmental adaptability and thus may in fact be reversed or manipulated, understanding the integration of experimental and epidemiologic science surrounding cancer and its many manifestations should lead to more effective cancer prognostics as well as treatments (Virani S et al 2012).