Benzo(a)pyrene-binding proteins of hamster embryo cell nuclei: comparison of nuclear isolation procedures

Hamster embryo cells metabolize benzo(a)pyrene to derivatives that covalently modify the nuclear macromolecules including proteins. Not all proteins are modified to the same extent nor by the same metabolites. In particular, a protein of apparent molecular weight 32,000 is highly modified by derivatives of trans-9,10-dihydro-9,10-dihydroxy B(a)P. This protein is shown here to be preferentially lost from nuclei during purification by centrifugation through high molarity sucrose solutions followed by osmotic shock. It does not appear to be a cytoplasmic contaminant, but shares many properties of an abundant protein from Xenopus laevis oocytes, nucleoplasmin.