Urea denaturation of chromatin periodic structure.

Isolated chicken erythrocyte nuclei dispersed in urea solutions (0-5.0 M) have been examined in terms of their low-angle X-ray diffraction and electron microscopic properties. At high urea concentrations, the characteristic low-angle X-ray reflections of chromatin are absent, and the spheroid chromatin particles (v bodies) are markedly perturbed. This lability of chromatin periodic structure to high concentrations of urea is consistent with previous hydrodynamic and spectroscopic studies.