Use of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors to Examine the Roles of Bromodomain and Histone Acetylation in p300-Dependent Gene Expression

The bromodomain is an evolutionarily conserved motif harbored by many transcription regulators and nearly all nuclear histone acetyltransferases including the transcriptional coactivator p300. The function of p300 is required for the expression of an array of genes, in part through histone acetylation. Here, we describe an experimental approach to examine the role of either the wild-type or a bromo-deficient p300 in the expression of p300-dependant genes. The role of histone acetylation in the expression of p300-dependent genes can also be assessed by targeting histone deacetylase activities using an inhibitor approach.