A DNA polymerase epsilon inhibitor activates the ribo and deoxyribo modes of primase expression and induces a unique phenomenon of primer accumulation.

Carbonyldiphosphonate (COMDP), a selective inhibitor of DNA polymerase (pol) epsilon, strongly stimulates expression of the ribo and deoxyribo modes of primase (Pr) activities of the Pr-DNA pol alpha enzyme complex associated with special cytoplasmic nucleoprotein complexes of chicken leukemic myeloblasts [J. Riman and A. Sulova, Acta Virol. 41 (1997) 181-214]. Besides stimulation, COMDP uncouples the Pr activities from those of DNA pol alpha, inducing in this way a unique phenomenon of accumulation of primers of basic length. In the presence of dNTPs, the COMDP effect is counteracted by excess of mimosine. The mutually exclusive effects of these agents are discussed.