Genome-wide binding (ChIP-Seq) of histone-like protein (HstA) of Haloferax volcanii

Diverse studies including protemoics, genome-wide binding, and transcriptional profiling of the model halophile Halobacterium salinarum suggest that its putative histone protein acts not as a chromatin protein but a direct and indirect transcriptional regulator. Here, we characterise the putative histone (HstA) of another model halophile (Haloferax volcanii) with ChIP-Seq to understand its genome-wide binding, and compare it with binding patterns seen from histones, nucleoid-associated proteins, and transcription factors of Halobacterium salinarum, other archaea, and eukaryotes. Analysis of this data by visual inspection, start site occupancy profiles, DNA motif searching, and dinucleotide periodicity suggests that the binding mode of halophilic histones shares features with TFs, NAPs, and more typical archaeal/eukaryotic histones. Examination of HstA binding in optimal conditions (rich media, 42⁰C, mid-exponential growth phase) using C-terminal HA-tagged HstA expressed in-trans under its native promoter.