The endogenous poly(ADP-ribosyl) -nonhistone protein conjugates were isolated from dimethyl-sulfatetreated rat hepatoma AH 7974 cells using aminophenylboronic-acid -agarose chromatography. Seven major components could be discerned on dodecyl sulfate gels (molecular mass 43,60,66, 86, 100, 110 and 170 kDa) while control cells indicated only slight staining at above 200 kDa. The most abundant conjugate formed in response to alkylation damage was further purified using preparative gel electrophoresis and identified on the basis of its intrinsic enzymic activity as automodified poly(APD-ribose) synthase. In addition, topoisomerase I activity was found associated with a 60-kDa peptide. ADP-ribosylated endonucleases and actin were not detectable. The purified conjugate fraction contained maximally 8.8 nmol/mg ADP-ribose and 7.9 nmol/mg oligo(ADPribose) with a mean chain length of 2.3 residues. The modifying (ADP-ribosyl), groups were attached to its acceptors by a hydroxylamine-insensitive bond and had practically no effect on the DNA affinity of either poly(ADP-ribose) synthase or topoisomerase I.Fragmentation of cellular DNA as induced by chemical or physical stress enhances the endogenous synthesis of poly(ADP-ribose) in the eucaryotic cell (for reviews see [l-31). The poly(ADP-ribose) synthase responsible for this reaction is capable of transferring the ADP-ribose moiety from the substrate NAD to a variety of chromosomal acceptor proteins with subsequent elongation to linear and branched homopolymers [4]. Formation of these products has been related to the regulation of several chromatin functions, especially those including intermediate nicking and resealing of DNA strands [5], such as cellular differentiation [6-91 and the DNA repair reactions [lo -131. The activity of the purified synthase was found to be completely dependent on binding to broken DNA [14] and inhibitors of the enzyme proved to be co-cytostatic [ l l , 15, 161 and co-carcinogenic [17-201 with DNA-damaging agents. These biological effects are apparently restricted to dividing cells, suggesting that poly(ADPribose) metabolism is required for the recovery of damaged cells progressing through the cell cycle but not for reactions directly involved in DNA excision repair [21,22]. Accordingly, inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis did not affect the rate of DNA ligation in alkylated HeLa cells [23,24] or mouse embryo fibroblasts [21], whereas strand-break frequency was enhanced and some breaks appeared to remain unrepaired in the absence of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis. The molecular mechanism by which poly(ADP-ribose) can prevent alkylation-induced cell death ist still not understood. A frequent explanation is that poly(ADP-ribose) may regulate cellular events by directy modulating the enzymic activities of the modified proteins [5] in analogy to the action of extranuclear mono(ADP-ribosyl) transferases [3]. This view relies on the observation that poly(ADP-ribosy1)ation inhibits the activities of many nuclear enzymes in vitro: Ca2+/Mg2-dependent ...