Chromatin landscape of Leishmania major

We sought to identify nuclease-hypersensitive sites and to quantify nucleosome positions in an effort to identify cis-regulatory elements in the protozoan parasite Leishmania major. Using micrococcal nuclease digestion of chromatin (MNAse-seq), we report that few nuclease hypersensitive sites are present within the presumed regions of RNA polymerase II-mediated transcription initiation, and that similar numbers of nuclease hypersensitive sites were found in control datasets. However, utilizing an independent approach (FAIRE), we observe that a heterogeneous population of nuclease hypersensitive sites are present in and around these regions, and that nucleosomes within these regions are susceptible to MNAse overdigestion. Micrococcal nuclease digestion of chromatin (MNAse-seq), formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements (FAIRE)