A scientist is using crosslinked chromatin immunoprecipitation (XChIP) to determine the DNA sequences to which a protein of interest binds. However, when she attempts to sequence the DNA in the last step of the procedure, she is unable to obtain any DNA to sequence. Which of the following is a likely reason she is getting these results?
A) The antibody she is using to precipitate the protein-DNA complex is not specific enough and binds the protein in question and five other proteins.
B) The protein and DNA are not properly crosslinked.
C) The antibody she is using is not specific to the DNA sequence to which the protein binds.
D) The DNA is too tightly complexed with histone proteins to allow sequencing.
E) The cells were lysed during the precipitation stage of the process.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If the protein and DNA are not properly crosslinked, the protein-DNA complex may not be stable enough to be precipitated, leading to a lack of DNA for sequencing.

A Scientist Is Using Crosslinked Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (XChIP) to Determine