Prothymosin α binds to histone H1 in vitro

Abstract
Previous studies have shown that prothymosin α (Pro Tα) is a nuclear acidic protein implicated in cell proliferation. To identify proteins that interact with Pro Tα we have used ligand-blotting assays. We report here that purified Pro Tα binds specifically to histone H1 in a dose dependent manner. Polyglutamic acid, an analog of the central acidic domain of Pro Tα, strongly inhibits the above interaction, suggesting that the binding of Pro Tα to histone H1 is mediated through its acidic domain.