title: Histone variant composition of normal and leukaemic human lymphocytes: analysis by gel electrophoresis of whole cells and nuclei.
abstract: The histone variant composition of normal and leukaemic lymphocytes was analysed using a method which circumvented endogenous cellular proteolysis. Whole cells were solubilized in buffer containing protamine which released the histones from the DNA and allowed their immediate analysis by Triton X-100-acetic acid-urea gel electrophoresis. The results were comparable to those obtained with histones which had been acid-extracted from cells, nuclei or chromatin; however, the new method was more reproducible since proteolysis was controlled. By histone variant analysis, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia patients could be separated into two groups. One group had lymphocytes with a histone H2a variant ratio of about 1.0; this finding resembled lymphocytes (75-85% T cells) from normal individuals. The larger group had lymphocytes with a reproducibly lower histone H2a variant ratio; these cells had a relative increase in the second variant, H2a.2. The groups of patients could not be distinguished by clinical disease state. No other differences were noted in the histone variant composition of lymphocytes from normal and leukaemic individuals.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000032:analysis; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000032:analysis; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D006657:Histones / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000097:blood*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D006657:Histones