Through many recent remarkable developments, perhaps the most significant advancements in the study of transcriptional regulation are the development of genome-wide approaches for measuring gene expression, exemplified by gene chips (chip), and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays (ChIP) for measuring in vivo protein-DNA interactions at any genomic loci. Transcriptional Regulation: Methods and Protocols takes this progress and builds upon it with a collection of key protocols used in expert laboratories around the world.  Divided into four convenient sections, this detailed volume explores promoter elements, transcription factors, and preinitiation complex (PIC) assembly, chromatin structure, chromatin modifying complexes, and RNA synthesis and regulation. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology™ series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and vital tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.   Comprehensive and accessible, Transcriptional Regulation: Methods and Protocols equally serves senior researchers and scientists experienced in transcriptional regulation as well as graduate students and scientists who wish to study transcriptional regulation for the first time.