Induction of a reductive pathway for deoxyribonucleotide synthesis during early embryogenesis of the sea urchin.

Cell-free extracts of Arbacia eggs (Arbacia punctulata) apparently do not contain an enzymatic system for the reduction of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides. However, during an interval of 5 hr after fertilization at 23 degrees , an enzymatic system is produced that is capable of catalyzing the reduction of CDP to dCDP in the presence of Mg(2+), ethylenediaminetetraacetate, ATP, and a reducing agent, dithiothreitol. The activity is first seen about 1 hr after fertilization, and reaches a peak at about 5 hr.