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From a research paper:

The ChIP assay demonstrated that CIC physically binds to the promoter region of FOLR1, PCFT and RFC1. Compared with IgG control antibody, CIC antibody enriched 4.1-fold more targeted FOLR1 promoter DNA, 13.8-fold more targeted PCFT promoter DNA and 4.2-fold more targeted RFC1 promoter DNA (figure 3B).

As far as I understand, the authors used chromatin immunoprecipitation to look whether and to what extent the CIC gene influences the promoters of folate-related genes (FOLR1, PCFT, and RFC1). And well enough, they discovered that the antibody to CIC precipitates more "promoter sequences" compared with the control antibody (IgG).

What does the word "targeted" mean here? If I remove this word, the meaning seems unaffected to me. In my Russian translation, I just omitted this word, because it does not seem to bear any additional meaning, but I'm not sure.

Can one simply omit "targeted" or does it have a meaning?

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Looking at the article, I think they could leave out the word "targeted".

I think they used it because what is being enriched is not a promoter DNA, but the section of promoter DNA bound to the protein and antibody.

I suppose they could use "...enriched 4.1-fold more FOLR1 Promoter DNA-CIC protein complex,..."

It is a little awkward or clumsy because the protein targets the DNA, and the antibody targets the protein.

So it is not always very obvious what the word "targeted" is referring to.

But without "targeted" I think the meaning is still clear enough.

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    $\begingroup$ I think you're right. By definition, any sequence amplified in ChIP is "targeted" by the antibody, because that's the assay. Seems strange they put it in there... $\endgroup$
    – MattDMo
    Commented Jan 3, 2021 at 18:11

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