Effects of Estradiol on the Acetylation of Histones in the Fetal Uterus of the Guinea Pig

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Abstract
The effect of estradiol (E2) on the acetylation of histones in the fetal tissues of the guinea pig (55-65 days of gestation) was studied after s.c. in situ injections of 500 µCi of [3H] acetate (nontreated animals) or 500 µCi of [3H] acetate + l0µg of E2/fetus (E2-primed animals). After 10 min, the uterus, kidney, liver, and brain of the female fetuses were removed. Nuclei isolated from each tissue were extracted with 0.4 N H2SO4. The histones in the extracts were separated by electrophoresis in acid-urea-polyacrylamide gels. The radioactivity in each histone band was measured and expressed as DPM/mg protein. In the fetal uterus of nontreated animals, histones H2 + H3 had sp act 1994 ± 785 (SD) and histone H4, 2702 ± 610 (SD). In the E2-treated animals, the corresponding values were 20,046 ± 3440 and 17,820 ± 2399, respectively. A limited enhancement of acetate incorporation was observed in the fetal liver and kidney, and no effect was observed in the fetal brain. It is concluded that, in addition to the uterotropic effect and progesterone receptor protein stimulation, the fetal uterus also responds to estradiol by an intensitifcation of nucleosomal histone acetylation.

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