Gel electrophoresis and gel chromatography of calf thymus histones in the presence of a cationic surfactant.

Five histone molecular species, H1, H2A, H2B, H3, and H4, of calf thymus were subjected to gel electrophoresis and gel chromatography in the presence of a cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), and their behavior was compared with that in the presence of an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). In the presence of CTAB, the retardation coefficient (KR) and distribution coefficient (Kd) values calculated for the five histone species were linearly related to their molecular weights, without showing abnormality of the type found in the presence of SDS. It was concluded that CTAB-gel electrophoresis is useful for the analysis of histones.