Antigens in chromatin associated with proliferating and nonproliferating cells.

Xenoantisera were raised to total chromatin from the leukemia cell line K562, or materials released through limited deoxyribonuclease I digestion of nuclei or during the control incubation of nuclei without enzyme. The peroxidase-antiperoxidase method of antibody-antigen detection was employed to visualize individual antigens resolved on one-dimensional polyacrylamide gels following transfer to sheets of nitrocellulose (immunotransfers). Each antiserum contained multiple antigen specificities as evidenced by the diverse patterns of reactive bands displayed on the immunotransfers. The most striking difference in antigens recognized between the antisera was observed in the molecular weight region below 50,000, where two highly reactive bands were seen mainly with antiserum to nuclear materials released by deoxyribonuclease I digestion. The antigens detected with all of the antisera were present in chromatins prepared from proliferating cells, while the levels of antigens present in chromatin from non-proliferating peripheral blood lymphocytes were greatly reduced or not detected. Antigens in chromatin from proliferating cells that migrated with apparent molecular weights of 37,000 and 100,000 were not lost once the activities to antigens in lymphocyte chromatin were absorbed out. These two activities were absorbed from antisera with the same amount of chromatins from proliferating cells. Two antigens migrating at molecular weight 52,000 and 76,000 appeared more active in the chromatin from unstimulated lymphocytes than in chromatin from proliferating cells.