H1 HISTONES OF ADULT TISSUES OF THE SEA URCHIN, STRONGYLOCENTROTUS PURPURATUS

¹ Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, and the Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, Washington 98250

Embryonic development of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus is characterized by a shift from a faster moving H1 (H1m) found during cleavage stages to a slower moving H1 (H1g) which is synthesized during the blastula and later developmental stages. Sperm have been characterized as having still other H1 histones. The present work describes the H1 histones of adult tissues (coelomocytes, tube feet, intestine, mesentery, testis, and sperm), as revealed by electrophoresis of histone samples in polyacrylamide gels containing sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS). Indications are that sperm possess two subtypes not found in somatic tissues or embryos and that adult tissues possess one H1 subtype not found in sperm or embryos. The possibility that these H1 subtypes represent post-translational modification is discussed.