Abstract: | In view of the controversies about the existence of histone H1 in yeast we have reinvestigated the problem by studying yeast proteins extracted with perchloric acid and salt. Perchloric-acid-extracted proteins from whole cells contain only two fractions which comigrate with 'authentic' yeast high-mobility-group proteins (HMG) in both SDS and acid urea gels. These extracts show a considerable cross-reaction with anti-(calf thymus HMG) antiserum and do not react with antiserum to mouse liver H1. The isolation of 'authentic' yeast HMG by the standard salt/trichloroacetic acid procedure gives two types of preparations containing different numbers of protein bands. The poorer preparation reacts only with the anti-HMG antiserum whereas the richer preparation also gives considerable cross-reaction with the anti-H1 antiserum. Immunoblotting analysis performed on the salt-extracted proteins reveals the presence of three protein bands giving positive immunoreaction with the anti-H1 antiserum. The immunoreactive bands have electrophoretic mobilities close to that of the marker calf thymus H1 and similar to the mobilities of the presumptive yeast H1 fractions found by other authors. |