DNA polymerases of murine LBN/b leukemic cells

In the post-mitochondrial fraction of murine LBN/b leukemic cells, four fractions with DNA polymerase activity (I, II, III, IV) were found. On the basis of ion exchanger affinity and poly(A), poly(C) and poly(Cm) replication ability, fraction I was classified as RNA-directed DNA polymerase of viral origin. On the basis of the differences in the ion exchanger affinity, molecular weight, template requirement, pH-dependence of enzymatic activity and NaCl concentration, divalent ion requirements and susceptibility to N-ethylmaleimide inhibition, fractions II, III and IV were classified as DNA-directed DNA polymerases beta, alpha and gamma, respectively. Three fractions, i.e. reverse transcriptase, and DNA-directed DNA polymerases beta and gamma, were found to incorporate dTMP on a poly(A)-oligo(dT) template-primer. Despite the similarity of the reaction of DNA polymerases beta and gamma with poly(A)-oligo(dT), some other properties of these enzymes suggest that they represent distinct enzymatic entities.