Acetylated histone H4 is preferentially associated with template-active chromatin.

Chromatin from trout testis at an early stage of development was digested with DNase II (deoxyribonucleate 3'-oligonucleotidohydrolase; EC 3.1.4.6), and the solubilized products were fractionated into Mg2+-soluble and -insoluble components. An examination of the histones from these fractions by one- and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels showed that the highly acetylated species of histone H4 (di-, tri-, and tetra-acetylated) were associated mainly with the Mg2+-soluble material. Digestion of this chromatin fraction with pancreatic ribonuclease converted more than half of it to an insoluble state, and the acetylated H4 remained associated with the precipitated fraction. No changes in the other histones were noted, but two other basic proteins were also found to be associated with the Mg2+-soluble fraction. Since this fraction is enriched in transcribing gene sequences, it is concluded that the histone H4 of active genes is present in a highly acetylated state.