Identification of poly G bound to thymidylate synthase.

Thymidylate synthase activity is increased in some methotrexate-resistant strains of Streptococcus faecium. The purified enzyme is associated with a polynucleotide which is not removed by dialysis. This polynucleotide contains one mole each of purine ribose and phosphate per mole base. Phosphate analyses after incubation with digestive enzymes indicate a tetranucleotide with one terminal phosphate. The constituent nucleosides are recovered quantitatively in a specific assay for guanosine. On HPLC, they are inseparable from authentic guanosine and the UV spectrum after HPLC is identical to that of guanosine. We conclude that poly G (GpGpGpGp) is bound to thymidylate synthase.