Table 1 Epigenetic toolbox: a list of targetable chromatin-modifier constructs reported to date

dCas9–p300

Histone acetyltransferase, transcriptional co-activator

Promoters and enhancers

Between approximately 50-fold (OCT4, MYOD) and 10,000-fold (IL1RN) upregulation when targeted to promoters (qPCR); up to 300-fold for enhancers (qPCR); lower levels of activation by RNA-seq

[8]

TALE–TET1

Methylcytosine dioxygenase (DNA demethylation)

Promoter

Between approximately 50-fold (HBB) and more than 100–1,000-fold (RHOXF2) activation over “off-target” controls (qPCR)

[7]

ZF–DNMT3a

DNA methyltransferase

Promoter

Between approximately 0.5-fold and 0.2-fold change (qPCR, western blot)

[5, 6]

ZF–G9a

H3K9 methyltransferase

Promoter

Up to approximately 0.5-fold change (qPCR)

[4]

TALE–LSD1

H3K4 and H3K9 demethylase

Several candidate enhancers

Up to approximately 0.4-fold change (RNA-seq)

[2]

dCas9–LSD1

H3K4 and H3K9 demethylase

Several candidate enhancers

Up to approximately 0.02-fold change (qPCR)

[3]

TALE–KYP, TALE–TgSET8, TALE–NUE

Histone methyltransferases

Promoter

Up to approximately 0.3-fold change (qPCR)

[10]

TALE–HDAC8, TALE–RPD3, TALE–Sir2a, TALE–Sin3a

Histone deacetylase

Promoter

Up to approximately 0.3-fold change (qPCR)

[10]

ZF + 223 different yeast chromatin modifiers

Various

Yeast pCYC1

Approximately 100-fold change (activators); approximately 0.06-fold change (repressors)

[11]