Effect of spermine on acetylation of histones in rabbit heart.

Incorporation of [¹⁴C]acetate was used as an index of acetylation of histone fractions in rabbit hearts. Spermine (10^?6 and 10^?5m) enhanced acetylation of all histone fractions in myocardial purified nuclei. In perfused hearts, spermine increased acetylation only in arginine-rich histone fractions. During the early stage of myocardial hypertrophy, a condition associated with a rise in the spermine content in the heart, an increased incorporation of [¹⁴C]acetate into F_2a2 and F_2a1 histone fractions was observed. From the results, a possible role of spermine in the mechanism of gene derepression is postulated.