This track displays
in vitro Footprinting
data for the NHGRI ENCODE target regions. This is technique by
which one identifies an occupied protein binding site, in DNA that has
been extracted from cells. The presence of a bound protein prevents
the enzyme DNase I from "nicking" a protected region, which can be
detected by an appropriately designed gel.
The long-term goal of the NHGRI ENCODE Project (ENCyclopedia of DNA Elements) is to identify all functional elements in the human genome sequence to facilitate a better understanding of human biology and disease.
During the pilot phase, 44 regions comprising 30 Mb -- approximately 1% of the human genome -- have been selected for intensive study to identify, locate and analyze functional elements within the regions. These targets are being studied by a diverse public research consortium to test and evaluate the efficacy of various methods, technologies, and strategies for locating genomic features. The outcome of this initial phase will form the basis for a larger-scale effort to analyze the entire human genome.
The ENCODE Project: Target Selection Process provides a description of how the initial target regions were selected.
To open a UCSC Genome Browser with a menu for selecting ENCODE regions, use ENCODE Regions in the UCSC Browser .