n-Butyrate causes histone modification in HeLa and Friend erythroleukaemia cells

Rapid, dramatic, and reversible increases in histone acetylation in the presence of n-butyrate are described.

Abstract

LEDER and Leder1 have reported that low concentrations of n-butyrate cause Friend erythroleukaemia cells to begin globin synthesis. Apparently n-butyrate can reverse that part of viral transformation which prevents the expression of differentiation in these cells. Prasad and Sinha2 have summarised the effects of n-butyrate on neuroblastoma, HeLa, and other cell types. They and others3–10 have seen reversible inhibition of proliferation, decrease of DNA content, morphological modifications, and increases in the production of specific enzymes, such as adenylate cyclase, alkaline phosphatase, and a sialyltransferase. The present paper describes rapid, dramatic, and reversible increases in histone acetylation in the presence of n-butyrate.