Histone variants and histone modifications in chromatin fractions from heterochromatin-rich Peromyscus cells

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982 · Exp. Cell Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0014-4827(82)90176-8· OSTI ID:6306786

Halleck, M S; Gurley, L R

In order to investigate the relationship between condensed heterochromatin and histone modification by acetylation, phosphorylation and amino acid variation, chromatin from cultured Peromyscus eremicus cells, containing 35% constitutive heterochromatin, was fractionated into heterochromatin-enriched and heterochromatin-depleted fractions. The constitutive heterochromatin content of these fractions was determined from satellite DNA content. The distribution of phosphorylated and acetylated histones and amino acid variants of histone H2A in these chromatin fractions was examined by gel electrophoresis. Fractionation of histones demonstrated that endogenous histone phosphatase activity was high in chromatin fractions and could not be inhibited sufficiently to allow accurate histone phosphorylation measurements. However, sodium butyrate did inhibit deacetylation activity in the fractions, allowing histone acetylation measurements to be made. It was found that the constitutive heterochromatin content of these fractions was proportional to both their unacetylated H4 content and their more-hydrophobic H2A content. These observations support, by direct measurement, earlier experiments (Exp cell res 111 (1978) 373; 125 (1980) 377; 132 (1981) 201) suggesting that constitutive heterochromatin is enriched in unacetylated arginine-rich histones, and in the more hydrophobic variant of histone H2A.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM
• OSTI ID: 6306786
• Journal Information: Exp. Cell Res.; (United States), Journal Name: Exp. Cell Res.; (United States) Vol. 138; ISSN ECREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550200* -- Biochemistry
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ACETYLATION
ACYLATION
AMINO ACIDS
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATIN
DATA
DNA
ELECTROPHORESIS
ENZYME ACTIVITY
ENZYME INHIBITORS
ENZYMES
ESTERASES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FRACTIONATION
HISTONES
HYDROLASES
INFORMATION
MAMMALS
MICE
NUCLEIC ACIDS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHATASES
PHOSPHORYLATION
PROTEINS
RODENTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
VERTEBRATES