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Inhibition of RNA Polymerase by Histones

Abstract

In vitro nucleohistones are known to be less efficient templates for RNA polymerase than free DNA1–3, but there has been some disagreement as to whether this is due to a real inhibition of RNA synthesis by histones or to their aggregation into precipitates which the reagents cannot penetrate4. Sonnenberg and Zubay5 supported the second suggestion by showing that ultrasonication of nucleohistone which was initially inactive as a template for RNA synthesis caused an increase in activity to about one-third that of free DNA, and Roy and Zubay6 have recently made similar observations using a mammalian polymerase. Bonner and Huang7, however, have repeated their claim that it is possible to prepare soluble nucleohistones which show the inhibition by histones.

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BUTLER, J., CHIPPERFIELD, A. Inhibition of RNA Polymerase by Histones. Nature 215, 1188–1189 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/2151188a0

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