[Endogenous DNA synthesis in isolated chromatin].

It was shown that chromatin isolated from the liver of adult rats is an effective cell-free system for studying DNA synthesis without using exogenous enzymes or DNA-template. Both replication synthesis initiated in vivo and unscheduled synthesis activated several fold after gamma-irradiation of isolated chromatin proceed in chromatin preparations. Unscheduled synthesis consists of template-dependent and template-independent synthesis. Template-dependent synthesis proceeds with a maximum rate in the presence of all four deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTP). Template-independent synthesis proceeds with an appearable maximum rate in the presence of one dNTP whose incorporation is inhibited by the addition of the rest dNTP. All three DNA synthesis in chromatin are ATP-dependent. Replication synthesis but not the unscheduled one is inhibited by actinomycin D and N-ethylmaleinimide. Repair inhibitor--0.01 M caffeine--suppresses the initiation of unscheduled synthesis, but does not influence its elongation. The incubation conditions of chromatin for unscheduled synthesis are optimalized as for temperature, pH, time of incubation, qualitative ionic composition of the medium, concentration of chromatin, ATP, dNTP, MgCl2, NaCl. Michaelis constants for TTP are equal to 1 mM for template-independent synthesis and 3 mM for template-dependent synthesis. At optimal conditions DNA of chromatin is lengthened by 8 X 10--3% as the result of template-dependent synthesis and by 1 X 10--3% as the result of template-independent. The transition from nuclei to chromatin as well as the purification of chromatin from nuclear membranes enhance the rate of unscheduled synthesis. On the other hand, addition of nucleoplasm or cell extract to the chromatin does not considerably influence the synthesis. So it is suggested that the enzymes of initiation and elongation of unscheduled DNA synthesis are concentrated in the chromatin. The plausible role of unscheduled synthesis in excision and postreplication repair of eukaryotic DNA is discussed.