Histone H5 in nucleated erythrocytes of fish as determined by radioimmunoassay.

Tissue-specific histone H5 in the nucleated erythrocytes of dogfish, scup, skate, tautog, sea robin and toad fish was studied. The presence of this histone was inferred by its electrophoretic mocility on polyacrylamide gels containing either acid-urea or sodium dodecyl sulfate. By radioimmunoprecipitation assays, cross reaction was observed between fish histones and an anti-H5chicken antibody. The antibody was specific to chicken histone H5; purified chicken histone H1 and calf thymus total histones did not cross react. It is concluded that fish histone H5 shares common antigenic determinants with the chicken H5 histone.