A histone modification ELISA measures bulk PTM levels from acid-extracted histones across all loci at once. ChIP resolves the same marks with genomic context. It shows which specific gene promoters or regulatory elements carry the modification. ELISAs are faster and work from small cell numbers. ChIP is needed when locus specificity matters.
Epigenetics Research Tools
Histone Modification ELISA Kits and Fluorometric Assays
Histone modification ELISA and activity kits for residue-specific PTM quantification
A histone modification ELISA kit gives you residue-specific quantification of post-translational modifications on histones H3 and H4. You run it on a standard absorbance or fluorescence microplate reader, with no radioactivity required. Colorimetric and fluorometric formats work well for routine profiling of the acetylation, methylation, and phosphorylation marks you need. You can screen multiple samples in parallel.
Multiplex assay kits screen many of your H3 or H4 marks at once from the same histone extract. This reduces sample use while covering a broad modification landscape in a single colorimetric run. Histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity kits extend the workflow to enzyme function. You can measure inhibitor potency directly in your nuclear extracts. Fluorometric histone demethylase (HDM) kits work best for your low-abundance samples, where colorimetric sensitivity falls short.
Use total histone extraction kits to prepare your input material consistently before running any histone modification assay. Your histone methylation quantification workflow typically completes in under four hours, from extraction to absorbance read.
Choosing the right histone modification assay
- If you want to profile multiple H3 marks in one plate: use a multiplex histone H3 modification assay kit. It detects up to 21 modifications from a single extract in one colorimetric run. Bundle options with a histone extraction kit reduce hands-on steps.
- If your primary read-out is H4 modification status: use a multiplex H4 modification assay kit. It covers 10 marks such as H4K5ac and H4K20me1 from the same histone extract preparation.
- If you need to measure HDAC enzyme activity or screen inhibitors: use a fluorometric HDAC activity assay kit. It gives a fluorescent substrate readout in under 90 minutes from nuclear extract.
- If you want to quantify a specific histone mark: use the search function to find the right modification assay kit for your needs.
- If you want to map histone marks across the genome: use a ChIP-seq, CUT&RUN or CUT&Tag workflow.
- If your sample volume is limited and you need fluorometric HDM activity: use a fluorometric histone demethylase activity kit. It is optimised for small-volume nuclear extracts with a low detection threshold.
Parent category: epigenetics research kits
Applications
Developmental and differentiation studies
Track H3K4me3, H3K27me3, H3K9ac and H4K20me1 as pluripotent stem cells differentiate towards specific somatic lineages.
Cancer epigenomics
Quantify global H3K27me3 or H3K9me2 changes in tumour versus normal tissue to flag silenced tumour-suppressor signatures, confirmed by follow-up ChIP.
Inhibitor screening
Measure HDAC, HAT, or histone demethylase activity in the presence of candidate small molecules to rank inhibitory potency before advancing to cellular assays.
Ageing research
Monitor progressive shifts in H4K16ac and H3K9me3 levels in tissues or primary cells from aged donors as markers of heterochromatin loss and genome instability.
High-throughput mark screening
Quantify a single histone mark, such as H3K27me3, across up to 96 samples in one ELISA plate for cohort or compound screens.
Antibody specificity validation
Test anti-histone PTM antibodies against recombinant nucleosome panels with defined states to rule out cross-reactivity between marks.
Product Catalog
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Histone Preparation
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Histone Acetylation
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Histone Methylation
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Histone Phosphorylation
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Frequently asked questions
Colorimetric kits work well with standard 96-well plate readers. They give reliable results from nuclear extracts with normal protein yield. Fluorometric formats offer a lower limit of detection. Choose fluorometric when sample material is scarce, when activity is weak, or when you test cell lines with limited cell numbers.
Many histone antibodies cross-react between adjacent or similar modification states. For example, anti-H3K4me2 can recognise H3K4me1 or H3K4me3. Test antibody specificity against a panel of recombinant nucleosomes or modified peptides with defined modification states before use. This protects against false-positive or false-negative results.
For H3 and H4 multiplex assays, use histone extracts with typically 20 to 500 ng per assay, with 50 to 100 ng being optimal. Histone extraction kits using acid extraction or proprietary lysis buffers produce the histone-enriched input these assays need, without requiring full protein quantitation.
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