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. 1978 Dec;5(12):4805–4818. doi: 10.1093/nar/5.12.4805

An octamer of histones H3 and H4 forms a compact complex with DNA of nucleosome size.

R H Simon, R D Camerini-Otero, G Felsenfeld
PMCID: PMC342790  PMID: 745994

Abstract

Equimolar mixtures of histones H3 and H4 have been reconstituted onto DNA of nucleosome core size. Two distinct complexes are formed in a relative abundance that depends on the starting ratio of H3 + H4 to DNA. One of these complexes contains two H3-H4 dimers for each DNA molecule, and has a sedimentation coefficient of 7.5S. The other complex contains an octamer consisting of four H3-H4 dimers, and has a sedimentation coefficient of 10.4S. On the basis of these measurements, we conclude that the octamer complex (but not the tetramer complex) is a fully folded, compact structure resembling the nucleosome.

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Selected References

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