Small angle neutron scattering studies of the structure of nucleosome cores at low ionic strength

Nucleosome core particles from chicken erythrocytes have been studied by small angle neutron scattering over the range from 10 to 0.04 mM Na+ at 65 and 100% D2O, and the radii of gyration of the particle were determined. A single transition in the radius of gyration was observed at either D2O concentration. With decreasing the ionic strength from 10 mM, the radius of gyration of the histones obtained at 65% D2O increased from 35 to 40A at about 1 mM ionic strength, whereas at 100% D2O the radius of gyration decreased from 39 to 36A also near 1 mM ionic strength. No loss of the secondary structure of the histones was observed by circular dichroism over the range of the ionic strength examined. These results suggest that at low ionic strength (less than or equal to 1 mM) the histones may locate outside of the nucleosome core particle accompanied by an alteration of the tertiary and/or the quaternary structure of the histone octamer.