DNA polymerase and simian virus 40 infection of resting monkey cells: induction of aphidicolin resistant α-polymerase

Abstract

Tightly confluent monkey cell lines BSC-1 and CV-1 held in stale medium for several days exhibited an extremely low level of thymidine incorporation into cellular DNA. Yet, these cells contained a level of α-polyraerase equal to about 15% of the level in rapidly dividing cells, and they still were capable of supporting replication of SV40 DNA. SV40 infection and culture in stale medium resulted in a four-fold induction of α-polymerase in CV-1 cells, whereas no change in α-polymerase level was observed in BSC-1 cells. Characterization of α-polymerase partially purified from Infected CV-1 cells revealed that 80–90% of the enzyme activity was aphidicolin resistant. SV40 DNA replication in resting CV-1 cells, however, was aphidicolin sensitive. SV40 infection of resting CV-1 cells may induce an aphidicolin-reslstant enzyme or lead to a modified α-polymerase species.