Abstract
We have investigated the possibility that some high molecular weight nonhistone chromosomal (NHC) proteins may have been conserved through the evolution of two distantly related diptera-Drosophila melanogaster and Sciara coprophila. Antisera produced against three NHC protein subfractions were analyzed for cross-reactivity with Sciara polytene chromosomes. The indirect immunofluorescent staining technique used couples an assay for immunologic cross-reactivity with an assay for the in situ distribution of the proteins under study. The results indicate that the σ-φ and ϱ NHC protein antigens have been conserved since the divergence of Drosophila and Sciara, while the Drosophila π NHC protein antigen is not present on Sciara chromosomes. In one case, with anti-σ-φ serum, we have identified a highly conserved, very high molecular weight NHC protein (or class of proteins) which appears to interact strongly with all chromatin in a manner which is not DNA sequence-specific. In the second case, with anti-ϱ serum, we have identified an NHC protein which may have evolved an additional function(s) in Sciara relative to its function(s) in Drosophila.
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Zegarelli-Schmidt, E., Silver, L.M., Eastman, E. et al. Conservation of nonhistone chromosomal proteins through dipteran evolution. Chromosoma 79, 65–74 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00328473
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00328473