Simplified ChIP-exo assays

Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) and its ultra-high resolution cousin ChIP-exo are methods that identify where proteins bind along any genome in vivo. ChIP-exo achieves near-base pair resolution by creating exonuclease stop sites just 5’ to where formaldehyde-induced protein-DNA cross-links occur. Whereas construction of ChIP genomic libraries is straightforward and widely adopted for ChIP-seq, ChIP-exo is technically more involved which has resulted in limited adoption. Here we describe multiple ChIP-exo protocols, each with use-specific advantages and limitations. The new versions are greatly simplified through removal of multiple enzymatic steps. This is achieved in part through the use of Tn5 tagmentation and/or single-stranded DNA ligation. The result is greater library yields, lower processing time, and lower cost. A similar streamlined approach was developed for ChIP-seq, called ChIP-seq 1-step, where library construction is achieved in one-step.