Immunoblotting histones from yeast whole-cell protein extracts.

Histones are small basic proteins that are core components of chromatin. As such, they are essential for cell viability and genomic stability and their levels are tightly controlled. In addition, histone tails are subject to extensive posttranslational modifications, including acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation and ubiquitylation, that play critical roles in many cellular processes. To quickly screen for alterations in histone levels and/or their modifications in yeast mutants under different growth conditions, we present a fast and reliable protocol for whole-cell protein extract preparation and immunoblotting.