In Vitro Chromatin Assembly: Strategies and Quality Control

Chromatin accessibility is modulated by structural transitions that provide timely access to the genetic and epigenetic information during many essential nuclear processes. These transitions are orchestrated by regulatory proteins that coordinate intricate structural modifications and signalling pathways. In vitro reconstituted chromatin samples from defined components are instrumental in defining the mechanistic details of such processes. The bottleneck to appropriate in vitro analysis is the production of high quality, and quality-controlled, chromatin substrates. In this chapter we describe methods for in vitro chromatin reconstitution and quality control. We highlight the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches, and emphasize quality control steps that ensure reconstitution of a bona fide homogenous chromatin preparation. This is essential for optimal reproducibility and reliability of ensuing experiments using chromatin substrates.