DNA polymerases from Chlamydomonas reinhardii. Purification and properties

Three DNA polymerase activities, A, B and C, were identified in extracts of exponentially growing synchronous cultures of Chlamydomonas reinhardii, and DNA polymerases A and B were characterized in detail. Both enzymes have the same binding affinity for DEAE-cellulose at pH 7.8, but can be distinguished from each other by their behaviour on phosphocellulose and DNA-agarose. 'Activated' calf thymus DNA was used as template, and the pH, K+ and bivalent-cation optima were measured. DNA polymerase A sediments at 5.3 S in glycerol gradients, with an apparent mol.wt. of 90000-100000. Polymerase B sediments between 8S and 10S in 100mM-KCl, the predominant species having an apparent mol.wt. of 200000. In 200mM-KCl, polymerase B dissociates to a single species, which sediments at 5.8S. A 3S species was found in aged preparations of both enzymes. The activity of polymerase B from cells harvested during nuclear DNA synthesis is twice that found in Chlamydomonas at other times during the cell cycle.