Interactions of Aflatoxin with Histones and DNA

The interactions of aflatoxin B(1) with certain histone fractions and DNA were investigated by means of viscosity measurements and equilibrium dialysis. Two main histone fractions (F2b and F1), both lysine-rich, were examined after treatment with the toxin. Fraction 2b and 1 differ in amino acid composition and behave differently, in regard to gross conformation, in the presence of electrolytes. Aflatoxin increased the viscosity of fraction 2b but affected the viscosity of fraction 1 only slightly. Equilibrium dialysis experiments showed that aflatoxin was bound to both histone fractions. Aflatoxin also increased the viscosity of DNA and equilibrium dialysis showed that 1 molecule of the toxin was bound to approximately every 5 nucleotides of the nucleic acid. Binding constants for the aflatoxin complexes were calculated as 1000 for F2b, 700 for F1, and 5500 for DNA. The biological implications of these data, in regard to the effect aflatoxin has on the information-transcription process, are discussed.