DNA polymerases of Euglena gracilis: heterogeneity of molecular weight and subunit structure.

Sedimentation analysis of glycerol-density gradients has shown that freshly purified DNA polymerases A and B (pol A and pol B) of Euglena gracilis have molecular weights of 185,000 (8.7S) and 240,000 (10.3S) respectively. They can aggregate in fresh preparations to give forms of higher molecular weight as shown by gel filtration through Sepharose 6B, but on ageing pol B progressively generates species with sedimentation coefficients of 7.4-7.7S, 6.3-6.5S, 4.8S and finally 3.0S. Pol A apparently behaves in a similar fashion though it is unstable. Exposure of pol A and pol B to high ionic strengths can also cause their breakdown to species with lower sedimentation coefficients. The mitochondrial DNA polymerase is distinct, having a molecular weight of 170,000. It is proposed that pol A and pol B are oligomers of the 3.0S subunit and possibly other dissimilar subunits, with pol B having additional factors conferring upon it its extra catalytic functions.