Small-scale in situ Hi-C protocol for early embryos to resolve the three-dimensional genome structure

High-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) provides genome-wide insights into chromatin interactions within the three-dimensional structure of the nucleus, making it a powerful tool for studying genome architecture. Here, we provide a modified in situ Hi-C protocol for small cell numbers, utilizing 50-100 embryonic cells at the 8-cell stage to investigate chromatin organization during bovine early embryonic development. This protocol overcomes the challenges of limited sample availability and offers valuable insights into chromatin dynamics during bovine early embryogenesis. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Zhang et al.¹.