[Partial fractionation and physico-chemical properties of non-histone chromatin proteins]

The non-histone chromatin proteins (NHP) were isolated by a modified Wang technique. NHP were easily dissoluble in solutions of a physiological ionic strength within a wide pH range. NHP were subdivided into 18 zones by analytical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. NHP have molecular weights within the range 15,000 greater than 200,000. A part of NHP showed similar molecular weight but different values of molecular charge. NHP were separated by a gel filtration into 6 fractions. Two fractions were individual proteins. The great bulk of NHP has a molecular weight less than 40,000, and 6-6.5% of NHP-more than 100,000. The fractions different from each other in a specific UV-absorbtion, fluorescence and circular dichroism. The nhp fraction of a smaller molecular weight has a smaller content of alpha-helix (8%) and the greatest polarity of the environment of tryptophan residues; the molecules of this fraction may have a loose tertial structure. Other NHP have 15-24% of alpha-helix and possibly have compact globular sites.