Deposition of histones onto replicating chromosomes.

The mode of distribution of newly synthesized and pre-existing histones has been studied during the process of chromosome replication. Newly synthesized histone was labeled with [3H]lysine and newly synthesized DNA was density labeled with iododeoxyuridine. The histone was covalently linked to DNA, and radiolabeled histone was analyzed on CsCl density gradients. We have defined conditions that do not give rise to histone randomization during isolation, and also developed a method of defining the distribution of histones in chromatin on a density gradient in the unavoidable presence of nonhistone protein. Three possible modes of distribution of histone onto the replicating chromosome can be conceived; we describe experiments designed to distinguish unequivocally among these possibilities and conclude that histones are deposited randomly onto the chromosome.