Deoxyribonucleoproteins of herring sperm nuclei. I. Chemical composition.

The chemical composition of deoxyribonucleoproteins from herring sperm nuclei was analyzed and the results are summarized as follows: 1. Chemical analysis of nuclear proteins and nucleic acids revealed that arginine/P molar ratio in herring sperm nuclei is unity but the ratio of arginine residues in protamine to phosphorus in the total DNA is 0.86. 2. The deoxyribonucleoproteins were isolated and their composition showed that about 14% of the total DNA in herring sperm nuclei is free from protamine and is bound with nonprotamine proteins in the weight ratio of nonprotamine proteins to DNA of 0.25-0.30. The remaining 86% of the total DNA is combined mainly with protamine and a small amount of nonprotamine proteins; the weight ratios of protamine and nonprotamine proteins to DNA are 0.75 and 0.08, respectively. In the latter complex, the molar ratio of arginine residues in protamine to phosphorus in DNA is unity.