The branching and linear portions of poly(adenosine diphosphate ribose) have the same alpha(1 leads to 2) ribose-ribose linkage.

The structure of the branching site of poly(ADP-ribose) was determined as O-alpha-D-ribofuranosyl-(1"' leads to 2")-O-alpha-D-ribofuranosyl-(1" leads to 2')-adenosine-5',5",5"'-tris(phosphate) by gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and 1H-NMR measurements. Thus the structures of all the ribose-ribose linkages known in poly(ADP-ribose) are uniformly alpha(1 leads to 2)glycosidic bond. This indicates that branching ADP-ribosylation and elongating ADP-ribosylation of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis are catalyzed by similar alpha(1 leads to 2)-specific ADP-ribosyl transferases or the same enzyme. Poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase, which specifically hydrolyzes the ribose-ribose bonds of poly(ADP-ribose), also cleaves the ribose-ribose-ribose bonds at the site of branching.