Histone neighbors in nuclei and extended chromatin

Ross C. Hardison, Deborah Parris Zeitler, Joyce M. Murphy, Roger Chalkley

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

Histone neighbors in compact and extended chromatin have been investigated by cross-linking histones in nuclei and in nucleohistone extended with 6 M urea, using the bifunctional reversible reagent methyl-4-mercaptobutyrimidate (MMB). Similar histone dimers are found in both conformational states of chromatin. The dimers most frequently found are H2b-H2a, H2b-H3 and H3-H2a; dimers found less frequently are H3-H4, H3-H3 and H2b-H4. More H3-H3 is found in nuclei than in extended chromatin. H1 is found predominantly as poly-H1, although it can be cross-linked to H2b or H3. After reaction with MMB, native compact chromatin is no longer extendable in 6 M urea, which shows that the reagent is capable of linking together histones holding the chromatin in a compact conformation. Thus the histone propinquity in extended chromatin mimics the intimate histone associations in compact chromatin.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)417-427
Number of pages11
JournalCell
Volume12
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 1977

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Histone neighbors in nuclei and extended chromatin'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this