The effects of gamma-irradiation on the priming by deoxyribonucleohistone of ribonucleic acid polymerase.

1. The effect of gamma-irradiation of solutions of DNA and deoxyribonucleohistone (DNH) on their ability to prime the synthesis of RNA by DNA-dependent RNA polymerase has been studied. 2. The priming ability of both DNA and DNH decreased continuously with increasing radiation dose, but more rapidly with DNH. 3. These decreases have been compared with decreases in molecular weight and with the breakdown of the specific hydrogen-bonded structure of DNA. 4. It is concluded that a process was occurring during gamma-irradiation of DNH that, although involving a decrease in molecular weight, did not diminish and even enhanced its priming ability. This is consistent with previous physicochemical evidence that gamma-irradiation causes dissociation of histone from DNH.