Distinct silencer states determine epigenetic states of heterochromatin

To identify the roles of silencers in generating and maintaining epigenetic states, we utilized FACS to sort cells that exhibited different epigenetic states, and ChIP to survey the chromatin architecture of a locus in these cells. Additional experiments involve modulation of silencing factors and phenotypic measurements such as transcription of the locus of interest and ChIP of silencing factors at that locus. Examination of silencing proteins Sir3 and Sir4, as well as histone modifications such as H4K16ac and H3K79me3