A direct link between core histone acetylation and transcriptionally active chromatin.
An antiserum raised against chemically acetylated histone H4 was found to recognize the epitope epsilon-N-acetyl lysine. Affinity-purified antibodies were used to fractionate oligo- and mononucleosomal chromatin fragments from the nuclei of 15-day chicken embryo erythrocytes. Antibody-bound chromatin was found to contain elevated levels of acetylated core histones. On probing with sequences of alpha D globin, an actively transcribed gene, the antibody-bound chromatin was 15- to 30-fold enriched relative to the input chromatin. Using ovalbumin sequences as a probe, no enrichment was observed. The results demonstrate directly that transcriptionally active genes carry acetylated core histones.
Hebbes
T R
TR
Biophysics Laboratories, Portsmouth Polytechnic, UK.
Thorne
A W
AW
Crane-Robinson
C
C
D000107:Acetylation; D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002843:Chromatin / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; D005914:Globins