In vivo specific labeling of Chlamydomonas chloroplast DNA.

When Chlamydomonas reinhardi is supplied with (methyl-(3)H)-thymidine, radioactivity is incorporated specifically into chloroplast DNA Chromatographic analysis of the products of enzymatic hydrolysis of the DNA reveals that only thymidine monophosphate has been labeled. Use of thymidine-6-(3)H yields an identical result. If thymidine-(3)H monophosphate is supplied, a small amount of radioactivity is incorporated into both nuclear and chloroplast DNA in proportion to the abundance of these DNA components. These observations are consistent with earlier suggestions that algae lack cytoplasmic thymidine kinase, but that the enzyme is present within their chloroplasts.