Chromosomal proteins of conifers. 1. Comparison of histones and nonhistone chromosomal proteins from dry seeds of conifers

Abstract

Chromosomal proteins from a wide range of seeds of coniferous species and from provenances of jack pine were characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Histones were resolved into five main fractions. The very lysine-rich F1 histone contained five subfractions. The electrophoretic properties of the nonhistone chromosomal proteins (NHCP) were distinctly different from histones and also from the soluble proteins of the cytoplasm and nucleus. The NHCP fraction contained 18 to 25 protein fractions with molecular weights from 9400 to over 68 000.Histones from nine species of Pinus were similar electrophoretically. Minor differences were noted in mobilities of subfractions of the very lysine-rich F1 fraction. Histones of dry seeds from seven provenances of Pinus banksiana, while qualitatively similar, revealed only minor differences in the percentage distribution of the histone fractions.The relative distributions of the NHCP on discontinuous polyacrylamide gels were different in all seven provenances and in two of the provenances, additional NHCP were present.Comparison of the NHCP of Pinus, Picea, Abies, Pseudotsuga, and Larix species presented a range of quantitative and qualitative differences over and above that found among some species of one genus such as Pinus.