This is the first report dealing with the effect of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylthymine 5'-triphosphate (araTTP), synthesized by a new method, on eukaryotic DNA polymerase [EC 2.7.7.7]. AraTTP was tested for the inhibition of DNA synthesis in vitro using highly purified mouse myeloma DNA polymerase alpha in comparison with 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine 5'-triphosphate (araCTP). AraTTP was found to inhibit competitively the incorporation of [3H]dTTP into DNA and non-competitively the incorporation of [3H]dCTP, while the mode of the inhibition by araCTP was non-competitive with respect to dTTP and competitive with respect to dCTP. Neither araTTP nor araCTP was utilized as a substrate in place of dTTP or dCTP in DNA synthesis by DNA polymerase alpha.