Degradation of Pseudoviral DNA after Infection of Mouse Cells with Polyoma Pseudovirions

Abstract

When mouse cells are infected with [8HI-thymidine-labeled polyorna pseudovirions, as much as 11% of the input pseudoviral radioactivity is found in the recipient cell DNA. However, the-radioactivity found in the recipient cell DNA virtually disiippears when nonradioactive thymidine and deoxycytidine, or D-arabinosyl cytosine, are added to the medium. The radioactivity found in the recipient cell DNA appeats to be the result of the breakdown of pseudoviral DNA to precursors of DNA and the utilization of these precursors for the synthesis of cell DNA.