Nuclear distribution pattern of tumour-associated nonhistone protein of mol. wt 48,000.

1. As a further step toward characterizing nonhistone protein of mol. wt 48,000 which was found to be much more abundant in animal tumour cells than in normal ones [Krajewska W.M., Lipínska A., Marszatek M., Kiliańska Z., Wojtkowiak Z. and Kłyszejko-Stefanowicz L. Cell. Biochem. Funct. 8, 79-89 (1990)] its intranuclear localization in hamster liver and Kirkman-Robbins hepatoma was studied. The protein was identified by immunoblotting technique in the presence of antibodies against polypeptide of mol. wt about 48,000 from Kirkman-Robbins hepatoma. 2. Distribution of antigen with mol. wt of 48,000 in nuclear fractions representing different levels of nuclear material organization, i.e. in nucleoli, nuclease-sensitive and nuclease-resistant fractions, and extensive nuclease digestion products separated by size on Bio-Gel A-50m; implied the structural role of this component. 3. Fractionation of endogenously digested nuclei into low salt extract, high salt extract and nuclear matrix revealed that in normal liver the antigen studied is associated with nuclear matrix while in hepatoma this component appeared in high salt extract. 4. These results suggest that polypeptide with mol. wt of 48,000 is a shuttling protein which may be involved in reorganization of nuclear matrix during neoplastic transformation.