Barkal, Amira A.Srinivasan, SharanyaHashimoto, TatsunoriGifford, David K.Sherwood, Richard2016-05-022016Barkal, Amira A., Sharanya Srinivasan, Tatsunori Hashimoto, David K. Gifford, and Richard I. Sherwood. 2016. “Cas9 Functionally Opens Chromatin.” PLoS ONE 11 (3): e0152683. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0152683. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0152683.1932-6203http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:26860090Using a nuclease-dead Cas9 mutant, we show that Cas9 reproducibly induces chromatin accessibility at previously inaccessible genomic loci. Cas9 chromatin opening is sufficient to enable adjacent binding and transcriptional activation by the settler transcription factor retinoic acid receptor at previously unbound motifs. Thus, we demonstrate a new use for Cas9 in increasing surrounding chromatin accessibility to alter local transcription factor binding.en-USBiology and Life SciencesCell BiologyChromosome BiologyChromatinGeneticsEpigeneticsGene ExpressionMedicine and Health SciencesClinical MedicineClinical ImmunologyHypersensitivityImmunologyBiology and life sciencesBiochemistryProteinsDNA-binding proteinsNucleasesDeoxyribonucleasesEnzymologyEnzymesHydrolasesMolecular BiologyMolecular Biology TechniquesSequencing TechniquesSequence AnalysisSequence Motif AnalysisGenomicsAnimal GenomicsMammalian GenomicsGenetic LociTranscription FactorsGene RegulationRegulatory ProteinsJournal Article2016-05-0210.1371/journal.pone.0152683