Description
Acetylation of histones, including histone H3 and H4, has been involved in the regulation of chromatin structure and recruitment of transcription factors to the gene promoters. Histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) play a critical role in the control of histone H4 acetylation at multiple sites. Acetylation of histone H4 at lysine 8 (H4K8) reflects the hyperacetylated state in histone H4 and is strongly correlated with active states of genes. H4K8 acetylation is related to DNA repair and increased H4K8 acetylation is observed in cancer and inflammatory diseases. In the absence of this modification, cellular survival following DNA damage is impaired. Histone H4K8 acetylation may be increased by inhibition of HDACs and decreased by HAT inhibition; thus, quanti-tative detection of acetyl histone H4K8 would provide useful information for better understanding epigenetic regulation of gene activation and for developing HAT or HDAC-targeted drugs. Acetyl Histone H4K8 Quantification Kit (Fluorometric) provides a tool for measuring acetylation of histone H4K8