The Fraotionation of ?-Histones From Ohicken Erythrooyte Nuolei

Abstract

The isolation of a group of low molecular weight, lysine-rich c.:-histones from chicken erythrocyte nuclei is described. Starch-gel electrophoresis indicates that this crude a-histone complex contains 13 components. Precipitation of the complex with ethanol at pH 8-0 and 9·5 has resulted in a partial fractionation of these proteins although no clean-cut separation was obtained. All these components aJ'e of low molecular weight (sedimentation coefficients = 0·8 S) but at pH values above 8 some of these components, notably components 2, 4, and 5, aggregate. The fractiona-tion of these histones by precipitation at pH 11·0 is described.