Effect of Protease Inhibitors onin VitroBreakdown of Uterine Histones from Hormone-Treated Rats

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Nuclei and chromatin were prepared from ovariectomized rats that had been untreated (U), treated with estradiol (E) or estradiol plus progesterone (EP). Aliquots were incubated at 0°C, 37°C or 37°C in the presence of protamine, leupeptin or antipain for 1 hr prior to extraction of histones. The histones were submitted to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and stained with dye. Incubation at 37°C resulted in degradation of the histones derived from E and EP rats. The 3 inhibitors when added to chromatin effectively prevented histone breakdown. On a milligram basis antipain and leupeptin inhibited histone breakdown when added to 37°C incubation of nuclei more effectively than when protamine was added. These findings suggest that leupeptin and antipain may be useful agents in biological systems where inhibition of trypsin-like proteolytic activity is desirable.

This publication has 6 references indexed in Scilit: