Immunochemical detection of chromosomal protein HMG-17 in chromatin subunits.

Chromosomal protein HMG-17, purified from calf thymus, has been used to elicit specific antibodies in rabbits. Specific serological reaction between the antigen and the antisera is demonstrated by solid-phase radioimmunoassay and by competitive inhibition assays. The antisera did not cross-react with histones or other chromosomal HMG proteins. The antisera bound specifically to chromatin subunits isolated from HeLa cells, demonstrating that it may be used to study the in situ organization of this chromosomal protein. Chromatin purified from HeLa nuclei was digested with micrococcal nuclease, and the resulting mono- and oligonucleosomes were fractionated on a sucrose gradient. Analyses of the content of chromosomal proteins HMG-1, HMG-17, and H4 in different size nucleosomal particles, by the solid-phase radioimmunoassay, reveal that the distribution of HMG-17 was the same as that of H4, but different from that of HMG-1.

High mobility group chromosomal proteins isolated from muclei and cytosol of cultured hepatoma cells are similar.

Using sequential chromatography on columns containing immobilized double-stranded DNA and single-stranded DNA, we have purified a protein from the cytosol of an established line of cultured rat hepatoma cells that, by several criteria, is a high mobility group (HMG) protein. Analyses of DNA binding properties, electrophoretic mobilities, amino acid compositions, and immunochemical reactivities reveal that the cytosolic protein is the same protein as HMG-1 isolated from the purified chromatin of the same cell line. Thus, authentic HMG-1 appears to be at least partially responsible for the cytoplasmic fluorescence observed when mammalian cells are stained with fluorescece observed when mammalian cells are stained with fluorescent-labeled, affinity-purified antibodies against HMG-1 [Bustin, M., & Neihart, N.K. (1979) Cell 16, 181-189]. We suggest that HMG-1 cn shuttle between nucleus and cytoplasm, perhaps in response to the nucleus' need for helix destabilizing proteins.

Antibodies against chromosomal HMG proteins stain the cytoplasm of mammalian cells.

Antibodies specific to protein HMG-1 were purified by affinity chromatography on Sepharose columns to which HMG-1 was covalently bound. Immunofluorescence studies with these antibodies reveal that HMG-1 or components which immunologically cross-react with HMG-1 are present in the cytoplasm of Chinese hamster V-79, rat liver TR-12 and bovine trachea EBTr-NBL-4 cells. At selected antibody concentrations, the fluorescence present in the cytoplasm is more intense than that observed in the nucleus. The presence of HMG-1 protein in the cytoplasm of rat liver cells was verified by direct examination of the protein content of selected cytoplasmic fractions. A protein with electrophoretic mobility identical to HMG-1 was detected by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels containing either sodium dodecylsulfate or urea. Furthermore, the cytoplasmic extracts yielded a positive complement fixation with anti-HMG-1, while no reaction was obtained with control anti-H1 sera. We suggest that HMG protins, rather than functioning in the nucleus alone, are important structural elements of the entire cell.