One of a number of simple proteins (often found in the cell nucleus) that contains a high proportion of basic amino acid s, are soluble in water, dilute acids, and alkalies, and are not coagulable by heat; e.g., the proteins associated with nucleic acid s in the nuclei of plant and animal tissues. They constitute about half of the mass of the chromosomes of eukaryotic cells.
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his·tone 'his-.tōn n any of various simple water-soluble proteins that are rich in the basic amino acids lysine and arginine and are complexed with DNA in the nucleosomes of eukaryotic chromatin
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n.
a simple protein that combines with a nucleic acid to form a nucleoprotein.
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his·tone (hisґtōn) any of various simple proteins containing many basic groups, soluble in water and insoluble in dilute ammonia; the globin of hemoglobin is a histone. Combined with nucleic acids they form nucleohistone, and are associated with DNA in chromatin. Some are poisonous and contain a great deal of phosphorus. Blood treated with histone is altered and has lower coagulability. Cf. protamine.Medical dictionary. 2011.