The subunit structure of the eukaryotic chromosome

Abstract

New structural data have been obtained from neutron scattering studies of chromatin. The concentration-dependent meridional peak at 10–11 nm comes from the interparticle spacing of a subunit structure. Peaks at 5.5 and 3.7 nm have a different contrast behaviour to those at 11.0 and 3.7 nm showing that histones and DNA have a different spatial arrangement in the subunit. A globular model in which apolar segments of histones form the core surrounded by DNA complexed with the basic segments of histones agrees with the data.