The kinetics of the addition of glucose and acetaldehyde to histone proteins.

The time-course of the reaction of H1 and total histone with glucose, acetaldehyde or both has been studied using the NBT reduction test and fluorescence. With both methods, purified H1 histone gave higher absorbance with acetaldehyde than with a 1:1 combination of glucose and acetaldehyde. For total histone, the opposite was found; a 1:1 combination of the above two aldehydes had the higher absorbance. As an explanation, the possibility of different reactivity of the amino groups with glucose and acetaldehyde is proposed. A possible simultaneous interaction between glucose, acetaldehyde and serum protein, mainly albumin, may alter the results of the diagnostic protein glycation methods, e.g. of the fructosamine test, and, therefore, also the monitoring of diabetes.