Review of historic article: Butler, J.A.V., Johns, E.W. and Philips, D. M. P. 1968. Recent investigations on histones and their functions. Progress in Biophysics and molecular biology, 18, 209-244.

This Historic Article was based on pioneering work by the laboratory of the Founding Editor of the journal to characterise the different forms of histones in the nucleus and their relationship with DNA. The classification determined in 1968 bears strong relationship to that known today. Most importantly, the work clarified that the inhibitory effect of histones on DNA is a general one and would not explain the subsequent differentiation of cells during development in multicellular organisms. Extensive work on the amino acids in histones leads to the understanding that negatively charged DNA naturally attaches itself to positively charged histones.