Methylation of Chromosomal Proteins in Neuronal and Glial Nuclei Purified from Cerebral Hemispheres of Rat During Postnatal Development

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Abstract
The process of methylation of chromosomal proteins [histones and nonhistoneproteins (NHP)] in neuronal and glial cell nuclei obtained from cerbral hemispheres of rats at 1, 10 and 30 days of age was investigated. Purified neuronal and glial nuclei were incubated in the presence of S-adenosyl [methyl-3H] methionine. Histone and NHP were extracted and fractionated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. There are remarkable differences in the process of methylation of histones and NHP between neuronal and glial nuclei, especially during the 1st period of postnatal development. In both nuclear populations the histone fractions and showed the major changes during postnatal development. The densitometric and radioactive patterns of NHP show considerable changes in the 2 nuclear populations at the various ages examined. The main difference between neuronal and glial nuclei consists in the intense methylation of proteins with MW of .apprx. 100,000, which are present in neuronal nuclei and virtually absent in glial ones. The results obtained may be correlated with the different chromatin structures of neuronal and glial nuclei and with the patterns of maturation and differentiation of neuronal and glial cells during postnatal development.