DNase i footprinting using PCR-generated end-labeled DNA probes

Transcriptional control is mediated through interactions involving specific nuclear proteins and target DNA sequences found in the promoters and other regulatory regions of eukaryotic genes. Consequently, the ability to define the location and characterize the nature of these interactions is central to our understanding of gene regulation. Although a number of different techniques are available that allow the detection of DNA-protein complexes, one method that has emerged to be the most useful is DNase I footprinting. This technique allows the investigator not only to detect DNA-protein complexes, but also to define precisely the boundaries of these interactions within the DNA molecule.