The DNA polymerases associated with the adenovirus type 2 replication complex: effect of 2'-3'-dideoxythymidine-5'-triphosphate on viral DNA synthesis.

An adenovirus (Ad) DNA replication complex extracted from infected HeLa nuclei could be purified free of the bulk of intracellular DNA polymerase activity by sedimetation in neutral sucrose gradients. However, the replication complex still retained some alpha and gamma DNA-polymerase activity. Since this complex is inhibited by 2', 3' dideoxythymidine-5'-triphosphate (ddTTP), an inhibitor of DNA polymerase gamma, a functional role for this enzyme in Ad DNA replication is suggested. Similar inhibition by ddTTP in intact Ad infected nuclei and comparable inhibition of Ad DNA synthesis in whole cells by dideoxythymidine (ddThy) are consistent with a role for DNA polymerase gamma. Uninfected HeLa nuclei or whole cells are not similarly inhibited by ddTTP or DDThy respectively. Such data does not rule out an additional functional role for other DNA polymerases, and recent experiments from this laboratory (1) suggest that DNA polymerase alpha is also involved in Ad DNA synthesis.