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Nucleosome formation abolishes base-specific binding of histones

Nature volume 258, pages 447–450 (1975)Cite this article

Abstract

CHROMATIN has a subunit structure1–5 and each subunit, for which the term nucleosome has been suggested5, has been proposed to consist of two of each of the four histones H2A, H2B, H3 and H4, and 200 base pairs of DNA (ref. 3). Do the histones responsible for generating the nucleosomes bind to specific sequences of the DNA? Heterologous reconstitution experiments showed that the four histones bound to DNA from bacteria or viruses gave rise to the same X-ray diffraction pattern6, the same size of nuclease-resistant DNA fragments7, and the same subunit structure, shown by electron microscopy5, as obtained for native chromatin. These findings suggest that the nucleosomes do not contain specific DNA sequences. This agrees with the apparently random distribution of nucleosomes along adenovirus DNA5. On the other hand, there is evidence that individual histones and polypeptides like polylysine or polyarginine bind preferentially to certain DNA sequences8–10.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Physikalische Biochemie und Zellbiologie der Universität Muüchen, D-8, München, 2, Goethestrasse 33, West Germany

    MICHAEL STEINMETZ, ROLF E. STREECK & HANS G. ZACHAU

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  1. MICHAEL STEINMETZ
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  3. HANS G. ZACHAU
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STEINMETZ, M., STREECK, R. & ZACHAU, H. Nucleosome formation abolishes base-specific binding of histones. Nature 258, 447–450 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/258447a0

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