[Specific cleavage of glycosylyl denatured DNA of T2 and T4 phages adjacent to the oligothymidilic or oligoadenylic sequences].

A method of complementarily directed alkylation with following elimination of the alkylated bases and with DNA cleavage at apurinic sites was used for specific fragmentation of glucosylyl DNA of T2 and T4 phages. It was shown that denatured glucosylyl T2 and T4 DNA's are modified by alkylating derivatives of hexaadenylate and heptauridylilate. The extent of alkylation reached the maximum and then stopped. The extent of elimination and chain cleavage corresponded to that of alkylation. Treatment of DNA after alkylation with (Ap)5ARCl under condition of saturation at 20 degrees gives 572 +/- 28 fragments from T4 DNA with 200--25,000 nucleotides long and 578 +/- 33 fragments from T2 DNA. Alkylation under condition of DNA saturation with (Ap)5ARCl at 40 degrees leads to 138 +/- 15 fragments from T4 DNA and 170 +/- 16 fragments from T2 DNA. Characteristics of the fragments obtained are given.