On the presence of DNA polymerase α in human lymphocyte nuclei and chromosomes

Abstract

Experiments were carried out to correlate the cytological localization of DNA polymerase with the presence of its specific mRNA in human lymphocytes studied at different times after phytohaemagglutinin stimulation. Our data indicated that in resting cells it is not possible to detect DNA polymerase c protein or mRNA by Northern hybridization. By contrast, in stimulated cells the detection of mRNA specific for DNA polymerase c synthesis is possible after 16 h phytohaemagglutin stimulation, whereas immunolocalization is possible after only 4 h stimulation. Observation of cytological preparations from cells stimulated for times long enough to obtain mitoses surprisingly showed an intense immunoreaction in mitotic chromosomes treated with monoclonal antibodies to DNA polymerase .