Project Title: 14, Scope: Molecular and Cellular Radiobiology Storage and Transfer of the Genetic Message RX-03-02 (d) (Cont'd.) show the presence of reverse transcriptases in Hela cells, normal embryonic tissue, and transformed lymphocytes, The aim is to understand the biological significance of this activity. The immune system is a prime target of environmental damage. The study of the RNA-dependent DNA polymerase in lymphocytes after antigenic stimulation should serve not only as a model to understand how radiation and other environmental hazards might interfere with the workings of this system, but also as a model of how environmental damage might interfere with the regulation of cell division, leading to uncontrolled division. These studies complement vthers on how synthetic polynucleotides work and how they interact with histones--possible gene regulators. (3) The effects of synthetic polynucleotides on herpesviruses and other viruses are studied (see below). Several lines of evidence suggest that herpesviruses may cause cancer in the frog, chicken and man. The herpesvirus is associated with the Lucke’ carcinoma--a renal carcinoma of the frog Rana pipiens, and with Marek's disease--lymphoid tumor in chickens. Burkitt's lymphoma and infectious mononucleosis in man are associated with the herpesvirus--the Epstein-Barr virus--having some relation to herpes simplex and the virus from Lucke’ carcinoma, Finally herpes simplex type 2 virus has been found associated with cervical carcinoma in women, The studies on the effectiveness of synthetic polynucleotides against herpesviruses relate to their eradication as possible co-factors in oncogenesis, These studies also have the potential of being used to study possible synergism between irradiation and herpesviruses in oncogenesis, thus illuminating how radiation and viruses might interact to produce damage. 15. Relationship co Other Projects: Related studies are carried on in laboratories throughout the world, At BNL Biology Department, these include Studier on genetics and physiology of bacteriophage T7 DNA, Lacks on the mechanisms of bacterial transformation by DNA and genetic recombination, and Elkind on radiation damage to DNA, Others working on structure of polynucleotides with x-ray diffraction include Alexander Rich at MIT and David Davies at NIH, Bethesda (structure of synthetic polynucleotides); Robert Langridge, Princeton (structure of ribosomes, tRNA and viral RNA); and V. Luzatti at Strasbourg, France (structure of nucleoproteins). It is believed there is no identical work being carried on imgany AEC laboratory. The structure of an actinomycin-deoxyguanosine cryst#line complex as a possible model for the stereochemistry of actino- myciw-Binding to DNA is being studied by Sobell and Jain, Rochester. Kornberg at Stanford, Bollum at Kansas, Gester at Columbia, Richardson at Harvard Medical School, and Khorana at MIT are studying the enzymic synthesis of DNA and synthetic deoxypolynucleotides, Dudock at State University of New York, Stony Brook, is determining the primary sequences (See Continuation Sheet) Ph AS3tl RX-251