A Thermal Denaturation Study of Macronuclear chromatin in "Blepharisma japonicum"

The macronuclear chromatin of the ciliate Blepharisma japonicum , in two starvation states, was studied by thermal denaturation analysis. The behaviour of B . japonicum chromatin, native and reconstituted with Tetrahymena pyriformis H1 histone, was analysed. The data obtained are consistent with the hypothesis that B. japonicum macronuclear chromatin contains a H1-like peptide associated with the linker DNA, although this peptide is reduced in amount and/or chromatin stabilising ability when compared to Tetrahymena macronuclear H1.