Functional homologies of acidic chromatin proteins in higher and lower eukaryotes

Within a specific fraction of acidic chromatin-associated proteins from HeLa and the lower eukaryote Physarum polycephalum numerous similarities exist. Several of the similar polypeptides in both cell types are synthesized and appear in the residual chromatin material while still others disappear in response to starvation, a common and universal stimulus. Proteins which incorporate no radioactive amino acids during starvation and ultimately disappear from the residual chromatin material are resynthesized upon refeeding. This resynthesis must be complete before mitosis will again occur. These observations suggest that within the complement of acidic chromatin proteins functional homologies exist in diverse eukaryotes.