Identification and fractionation of the total histone of the cotton plant

In order to isolate individual fractions of the histones of the cotton plant of variety 108-F and to investigate them further, the total histone has been chromatographed on Acrylex P-60 and Bio-Gel P-30. It has been shown that the most complete fractionation is achieved on a Acrylex P-60. By electrophoresis of the fractions in 15% PAAG in the presence of 6.25 M urea and on the basis of amino acid compositions, the following order of elution of the histones has been established: H1, H2B + H2A, H3, and H4. In a comparison of the amino acid composition of the H3 and H4 histones of the cotton plant with histones enriched with arginine from other species, a somewhat higher lysine : arginine ratio in these fractions has been found. On comparing the electrophoretic mobilities of the histone fractions from the cotton plant with the histones of calf thymus, some difference is observed which is apparently connected with a difference in their molecular weights.