SPECIFICITY OF ENZYMATIC METHYLATION OF PEA HISTONE

Some lysyl residues of animal histones can be modified in vitro by the enzymatic methylation of ε{lunate}-amino groups (Comb, Sarker and Pinzino, 1966). Although ε{lunate}-N-methyllysine has recently been shown to be present in an arginine rich histone from peas (Fambrough and Bonner, 1968) a corresponding methylation in vitro has not been previously described in plants. This communication reports on the enzymatic transfer of methyl groups from S-adenosyl methionine to the ε{lunate}-N of lysine in histones IIb and III in isolated pea chromatin. © 1969.