A regulatory coupling between the rate of cellular transcription and the activity of topoisomerase I was investigated in plasmodia of Physarum polycephalum treated with fluorodeoxyuridine or nalidixic acid. 2. Fluorodeoxyuridine at concentrations above 40 micrograms/ml lowered both the incorporation of [3H]uridine and the activity of topoisomerase I to 10% of corresponding control values. 3. Nalidixic acid, in the range of concentrations between 20-50 micrograms/ml did not inhibit the incorporation of [3H]uridine but lowered the activity of topoisomerase I by about half. 4. It is suggested that a coupling between the level of transcription and the activity of topoisomerase I in Physarum plasmodia involves only about a half of the topoisomerase I activity and is limited to transcription occurring on ribosomal genes.
