Histones and Chromatin Structure in Tetrahymena Macro- and Micronuclei

Abstract

The ciliated protozoan, Tetrahymena pyriformis, can be used to study relationships between histones (and their modifications), chromatin structure, and genetic activity. In this paper we compare histones and chromatin structure in macro- and micronuclei — two structurally and functionally distinct nuclei which share a common cytoplasm. A subsequent paper (Mathis and Gorovsky, this volume) compares nuclease digestion properties of genes coding for ribosomal RNA (rRNA) with those of the bulk chromatin of the macronucleus.