The chick embryo fibroblast cytosolic DNA complex--a possible cell-cell messenger.

1. The uptake of [3H]thymidine and [3H]uridine labelled DNA-RNA cytosol complex has been studied in chick embryo fibroblast cells. 2. The complex appears to be cleaved into DNA and RNA containing fragments in the recipient cell nucleus: both then enter the cell cytosol fraction, but the RNA fragment in particular is rapidly degraded. 3. Although [3H]thymidine labelled material present in the nucleus co-extracts with bulk nuclear DNA, caesium gradienting shows little or no evidence that integration of host and imported DNA has occurred. 4. It is suggested that the cytosolic/extruded DNA complex may be a "messenger" DNA, capable of the transfer of regulatory information between cells on a transient basis.