title: Partial characterization of nuclear binding sites for retinol delivered by cellular retinol binding protein.
abstract: Retinol (vitamin A alcohol), which plays an important role in the differentiation of epithelia, can be transferred to chromatin in vitro. Rat liver chromatin can accept retinol in a specific and saturable manner only when the retinol is presented as a complex with cellular retinol-binding protein (CRBP). A partial characterization of the nuclear components responsible for accepting retinol is reported here. A preparation of solubilized chromatin isolated from liver nuclei was able to accept retinol from its complex with CRBP as described previously for nuclei and chromatin. The binding of retinol to chromatin was noncovalent. However, chromatin prepared from nuclei which were incubated with DNase I or micrococcal nuclease did not accept retinol specifically. Chromatin in the form of mono and dinucleosomes also did not accept retinol. However, treatment of nuclei with RNase did not affect the specific binding of retinol. Furthermore, it has been found that retinol was not transferred to purified double or single stranded DNA. These results are interpreted to indicate that the transfer of retinol to specific nuclear binding sites requires a higher order of chromatin structure than that occurring in nucleosome preparations.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liau
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chytil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008836:Micrococcal Nuclease; D011485:Protein Binding; D051381:Rats; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D054840:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Cellular; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins; D054840:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Cellular; C027928:retinol binding protein receptor; D014801:Vitamin A; D004247:DNA; D008836:Micrococcal Nuclease