CONTENTS* This paper is dedicated to the memory of my late wife, Dr Elena Popova.
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624T. ALDERSON proteins. T h e modification may be with a single ADP-ribose moiety, termed mono(ADP-ribosylation), or with longer chains (linear or branched) of covalently linked ADP-ribose residues, termed poly(ADP-ribosylation). T h e majority of mono(ADP-ribosylated) conjugates are localized outside the nucleus, and they are generally much more abundant than poly(ADP-ribosylated) conjugates.T h e nuclear proteins known to be poly(ADP-ribosylated) by A D P R T are histones ( H I , Hza, Hzb, H3, and H5), non-histones [lamins and high mobility group proteins (HMG)] and various D N A enzymes, namely, D N A ligase 11, DNA polymerase a , D N A polynierase p, deoxynucleotidyl terminal transferase, Ca2'/Mg2+-dependent endonuclease, D N A topoisomerase I , and A D P R T itself. T h e apparent regulatory roles of the poly(ADP-ribosylation) modification of histones and the D N A replication and repair enzymes have been previously discussed (Alderson, I 989).Poly(ADP-ribosylation) exhibits a cell-cycle oscillation with a maximum coinciding with S phase after a release of GI block; its removal appears to be carried out by the co-operative action of poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase and ADP-ribosyl protein lyase.Most of the functions of the poly(ADP-ribosylation) modification process have been attributed to the fact that A D P R T has an absolute requirement for DNA for its activity.