[Probing of the linear distribution of nucleosomes in chromatin]

The binding of the antibiotic dyes to chromatin fragmented by various ways and to preparations of "complete" (MH3, 206 DNA base pairs) and "minor" MH1, 155 DNA base pairs) nucleosomes was studied. The latter were obtained from the total hydrolysate of nuclear chromatin hydrolysis by Ca-Mg-dependent endonuclease, using preparative electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel. In liver chromatin of different vertebrate species the actinomycin D binding is decreased by 70% as compared to DNA binding, while that of ethidium bromide is reduced only by 40%. The splitting of part of internucleosomal DNA by Ca-Mg-dependent endonuclease further decreases the number of binding sites for ethidium bromide, but not for actinomycin D. MH3 bid 24 molecules of actinomycin D per 10(3) of nucleotides; their DNA contain 43.4% of GC-pairs. The GC content in MH1 is 47.7%; they bind 28 dye molecules per 10(3) of nucleotides. The data obtained are discussed in terms of possible predominant localization of nucleosomal cores in GC-pair-rich DNA sites.