Effects of 8-chlorodeoxyadenosine on DNA synthesis by the klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I

8-Chloro-2′-deoxyadenosine (8-Cl-dAdo) was incorporated into synthetic DNA oligonucleotides to determine its effects on DNA synthesis by the 3′–5′ exonuclease-free Klenow fragment of Escherichia coli DNA Polymerase I (KF–). Single nucleotide insertion experiments were used to determine the coding potential of 8-Cl-dAdo in a DNA template. KF– inserted TTP opposite 8-Cl-dAdo in the template, but with decreased efficiency relative to natural deoxyadenosine. Running-start primer extensions with KF– resulted in polymerase pausing at 8-Cl-dAdo template sites during DNA synthesis. The 2′-deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate analogue, 8-Cl-dATP, was incorporated opposite thymidine (T) approximately two-fold less efficiently than dATP.