Antibodies to dehistonized chromatin of normal and fetal rat liver

Antisera to dehistonized adult or fetal rat liver chromatin were treated with electrophoretically separated chromosomal proteins of adult and fetal liver, Novikoff hepatoma and adult rat kidney. Both types of antisera reacted with numerous antigens in both tissue chromatins. However, immunoabsorption experiments have shown that while adult rat liver shared most of its nuclear antigens with other tissues, antisera to dehistonized fetal liver chromatins were more specific. In terms of antigenic specificity, the fetal rat liver and Novikoff hepatoma chromatins were similar; however, the former contained several antigens which could not be absorbed with Novikoff hepatoma chromatin.