How to Distinguish Between the Activity of HDAC1-3 and HDAC6 with Western Blot

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) catalyze the deacetylation of lysine residues in their target proteins. This biochemical modification can have profound effects on the functions of these proteins and a dysregulation of HDAC activity contributes to severe diseases, including neoplastic transformation. In the following chapter, we present a strategy that allows to distinguish between the inhibition of the class I HDACs HDAC1, 2, and 3 and of the class IIb HDAC HDAC6. This method is based on Western blot and relies on the detection of hyperacetylated substrates of class I or class IIb HDACs in lysates from cells that were treated with histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi).