Study of dogfish (Scyliorhinus caniculus) deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase alpha and beta. Extraction, separation, characterization and changes during spermatogenesis.

DNA polymerase activity was extracted from testis cells of the dogfish Scyliorhinus caniculus. On a sucrose gradient, two main peaks could be separated, corresponding to DNA polymerases beta (3.8 S) and alpha (7.5 S). DNA polymerase gamma could also be detected when poly(A) . (dT)12 was used as template. The properties of alpha and beta polymerases of this primitive vertebrate were similar to those generally described, especially in mammals. The beta enzyme was highly sensitive to N-ethylmaleimide, however, and could use poly(dT) . poly(A) as template. Polymerase alpha was present in spermatogonia, spermatocytes and spermatids. Activity was maximal in spermatocytes. DNA polymerase beta was present in all testis cells with similar activities in spermatogonia and spermatocytes. Decreased activities were observed during spermiogenesis. Some activity remained associated with the chromatin fraction of mature sperm cells.