The inhibition of deoxyribonucleic acid nucleotidyltransferase by stilboestrol derivatives.

The inhibition by diethylstilboestrol of DNA nucleotidyltransferase isolated from calf thymus was studied. The inhibition exercised by diethylstilboestrol appears to obey competitive kinetics with respect to DNA primer. The activities of both replicative and terminal enzymes were affected to the same extent. There was no evidence of binding between DNA and diethylstilboestrol. A comparative study of the inhibitory effects of some stilboestrol derivatives is presented. The alkyl substitution in the alphaalpha'-positions seem to alter the inhibitory effect of these compounds: dimethylstilboestrol was more inhibitory than stilbene, and diethylstilboestrol was more inhibitory than dimethylstilboestrol. Hexoestrol, in which the alphaalpha'-ethylenic linkage is saturated, was the most effective inhibitor.