Determining the specificity of protein-DNA interactions

Proteins, such as many transcription factors, that bind to specific DNA sequences are essential for the proper regulation of gene expression. Identifying the specific sequences that each factor binds can help to elucidate regulatory networks within cells and how genetic variation can cause disruption of normal gene expression, which is often associated with disease. Traditional methods for determining the specificity of DNA-binding proteins are slow and laborious, but several new high-throughput methods can provide comprehensive binding information much more rapidly. Combined with in vivo determinations of transcription factor binding locations, this information provides more detailed views of the regulatory circuitry of cells and the effects of variation on gene expression.