Fractionation of histones from chicken erythrocyte and sea urchin sperm by cm-cellulose chromatography with ethanolic formic acid

Abstract

1. 1.|A comparative biochemical study has been performed on histones from calf thymus, chicken erythrocyte, and sperm of sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Histones were fractionated by CM-cellulose chromatography with ethanolic formic acid. Chromatographic fractions were characterized by total amino acid compositions and disc electrophoresis. 2. 2.|A new method of disc electrophoresis in 0.1 M formic acid was devised. This system resolves all major histone fractions from chicken erythrocyte and sperm of the sea urchin. 3. 3.|The chromatographic system has been demonstrated to be particularly useful for the preparation of F2c, the histone specific to chicken erythrocyte, and of a unique highly basic fraction present in sperm. 4. 4.|Chicken erythrocyte histone is similar to calf thymus histone except for a decreased amount of F1 and the appearance of F2c. 5. 5.|Both chromatographic and electrophoretic patterns of sea urchin sperm histone are markedly different from those of calf thymus histone. F1 is completely absent, while a unique highly basic fraction is found. The other fractions showed amino acid compositions more or less similar to F2b, F2a1, F2a2, and F3.