Identification of a 68 kDa protein species as a specific DNA-binding component of the H3abp complex interacting with the histone H3.2 G1/S regulatory domain.

The hamster histone H3.2 promoter contains a protein binding site (referred to as site X) required for G1/S transcriptional activation. We report here that nuclear extracts prepared from serum synchronized cells at various stages of the cell cycle show a biphasic increase in the H3.2 specific complex, H3abp, binding to site X. An increase in binding activity occurs as cells first enter the cell cycle and later at the G1/S border. The H3.2 specific binding activity is enhanced by Mg2+ and Ca2+ in vitro, but is inhibited by Zn2+. Site X resembles a Jun/AP-1 site, but previously it has been shown that the H3abp complex is immunologically distinct from the characterized AP-1 proteins. Here, we identify the size of the hamster nuclear protein(s) that bind specifically to the H3abp site by ultra-violet crosslinking and renaturation of specific protein bands following gel electrophoresis. In addition, we purify H3abp by affinity chromatography and show that the purified H3abp has a different methylation interference profile from AP-1. Our results indicate that a protein species around 68 kDa is the major DNA binding component of the H3abp complex and it binds specifically to the histone promoter site required for G1/S regulation.