Non-specific interactions of histones with serum components and contractile proteins.

Strong, apparently non-specific interactions are often observed between antisera and proteins in the assay of biological systems by methods employing antibodies. We have documented the interaction between immunoglobulin-enzyme complexes and nuclear histone proteins. This binding has been demonstrated for all the histones derived from bovine thymus. The interaction between histones and the immunoglobulin-enzyme complexes has been shown to be inhibited by both whole serum and individual serum components as well as a number of the major contractile proteins.