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Chromosomal proteins in fixed metaphase cells

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Summary

The usual Carnoy fixative (acetic acid: methanol, 1:3) for metaphase preparations removes most histone as well as other nuclear proteins from rat and mouse embryo fibroblasts. Acrylamide gel electrophoresis patterns of fixatives from treated cells and the residual cell pellets show that significant amounts of histones are extracted into the Carnoy fixative. In contrast, formalin treatment fixes histones in the cells and renders them unextractable by the usual procedures. Autoradiographic studies with H3-lysine-labeled cells and electrophoretic analysis of cell extracts and fixative confirm these findings. The demonstration of typical quinacrine and trypsin-G-banding patterns with cells from both fixation procedures suggeststhat chromosomal banding patterns are independent of either the presence or absence of basic histone proteins.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University, Medical Center, 10016, New York, New York, USA

    Andrew Sivak & Sandra R. Wolman

  2. Department of Pathology, New York University, Medical Center, 10016, New York, New York, USA

    Andrew Sivak & Sandra R. Wolman

Authors
  1. Andrew Sivak
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  2. Sandra R. Wolman
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Supported by U. S. Public Health Service Grants CA-13821 and ES-00260.

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Sivak, A., Wolman, S.R. Chromosomal proteins in fixed metaphase cells. Histochemistry 42, 345–349 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00492682

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00492682

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