Nuclear deprimerones (low molecular weight peptides controlling gene expression) are associated with DNA and nuclear RNA.

Isolated, deproteinized nucleic acids from calf thymus and rat liver nuclei were fractionated on Bio-Gel A-5m into DNA and RNA fractions. Extraction of deproteinized DNA and nuclear RNA with 80% ethanol at pH 9.5 yielded low molecular weight peptides (deprimerones) capable of inhibiting DNA transcription in a cell-free system.