title: Purification of histone core octamers and 2.15 A X-ray analysis of crystals in KCl/phosphate.
abstract: Intact histone octamers, produced by a new method quickly and in bulk, were crystallized in KCl/phosphate, and the X-ray data were analysed to 2.15 A, confirming a P65 space group. This environment preserves the high-resolution structure of the octamers and will be useful for studying them with other functionally important molecules. The octamers form into left-handed superhelices hexagonally spaced by 158.65 A, having a pitch of 102.57 A with six octamers per turn. A dipotassium tetraiodo mercurate derivative had good phasing power and should prove valuable in refining the structure after molecular-replacement analysis with lower resolution coordinates; the heavy atom was isomorphously placed at a unique site between the two H3-cysteine residues in the octamer.
authors.affiliation: Beckman Laboratory, School of Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom St, Liverpool L3 3AF, England.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chantalat
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Donovan
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Baldwin
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007454:Iodides / Q000737:chemistry; D017669:Mercury Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D010710:Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry*; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000737:chemistry*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; D007454:Iodides; D017669:Mercury Compounds; D010710:Phosphates; D011189:Potassium Chloride; C009009:potassium tetraiodomercurate