Species-specific suppression of histone H1 and H2B production in human/mouse hybrids.

Ten human/mouse hybrid cell lines that segregate either human or mouse chromosomes were examined for the expression of human- and mouse-specific histones H1 and H2B. Results of this study indicate that the human and mouse chromosomes in hybrid cells that segregate human chromosomes (M greater than H hybrids) contain only mouse histone H1 and H2B. Chromosomes in hybrid cells that segregate mouse chromosomes (H greater than M hybrids) contain only human H1 and H2B histones. Loss of the ability to produce either human or mouse histones does not seem to be due to the loss of specific human or mouse chromosomes because M greater than H hybrids retaining at least one copy of each human chromosome contain only mouse H1 and H2B and H greater than M hybrids retaining at least one copy of each mouse chromosome contain only human H1 and H2B histones. These results, together with those concerning histone H4 acetylation levels and ratios of variants of histones H3 and H2A that are like those in the dominant parent cell type, indicate that the control mechanisms affecting H1 and H2B expression in H greater than M and in M greater than H hybrid cells affect expression of histones H2A, H3, and H4 genes as well. The present data thus support the hypothesis that none of the histone genes that are active in the recessive parent cell type is expressed in hybrid lines that segregate recessive cell chromosomes.