H1 histone subfractions of mammalian testes. 2. Organ specificity in mice and rabbits.

H1 histones were examined in testes and somatic organs from mice and rabbits. They were extracted from washed chromatin by aqueous 5% (w/v) trichloroacetic acid and analyzed by several electrophoretic systems as well as column chromatography employing Bio-Rex 70. In each species the testicular H1 population contains at least two components that are scarce or absent in the somatic organs examined. The unusual testicular species do not appear to be phosphorylated derivatives. The studies in this and the accompanying report [Seyedin, S.M., & Kistler, W.S. (1979) biochemistry 18 (preceding paper in this issue) confirm that marked changes from the isomatic type H1 population are associated with spermatogenesis in mice, rabbits, and rats. However, in terms of electrophoretic and chromatographic behavior, the pattern of change in species specific.