The ATP-dependent endonuclease from Hemophilus influenzae is relatively inactive on closed or open DNA rings, yet rapidly hydrolyzes single- or double-chained linear DNA. This enzyme in combination with an exonuclease (exo VII) has been shown to spare various circular DNA molecules including those having single-chain regions of significant length. However, rings containing single-chained regions are broken at a rate depending on the length of these regions. By admixing a linear DNA of alternate radiolabel, a simple assay for DNA rings has been developed. The application of this procedure to the assay of folded rings from Drosophila DNA is demonstrated.