RNA-linked short DNA fragments during polyoma replication.

During in vitro incubation, nuclei from polyoma-infected cells elongate the daughter strands of the replicative intermediate of polyoma DNA. This process is now shown to involve the transient formation of short fragments (4-5 S), a process that is stimulated by the addition of ribonucleoside triphosphates. The presence of stretches of RNA at the 5'-end of short DNA chains was determined from Cs(2)SO(4) equilibrium centrifugation and from the finding that isotope from alpha-(32)P-labeled deoxynucleoside triphosphates was recovered in 2'(3')-ribonucleotides after alkaline hydrolysis. Transfer occurred preferentially with [alpha-(32)P]dCTP as substrate. Starvation for deoxynucleotides by in vivo treatment with hydroxyurea resulted in the accumulation of short fragments that are deficient in RNA. Our results suggest that a late step during the discontinuous synthesis of polyoma DNA is selectively inhibited when deoxynucleotides are in short supply.