The cell cycle dependent fluctuation of adenosine diphosphoribosyl transferase (ADPRT) activity was demonstrated by both nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (3H-NAD+) incorporation into the acid insoluble fraction of permeabilized cells and changes in the cellular content of NAD, the only substrate of ADPRT, in intact FL cells. The ADPRT activity was lowest in the G1 phase and highest in the S/G2-G2 phase. Aphidicolin, a specific inhibitor of DNA polymerase a, abolished the fluctuation of ADPRT activity. Meanwhile, in 5-fluorodeoxy-uridine (FUdR) exposed cells whose DNA synthesis was interfered with by the inhibition of thymidylate synthetase and the rate of ligation of short replicative intermediates, the ADPRT activity remained at a higher level than in controls. However, 3-aminobenzamide (3AB), a potent ADPRT inhibitor, showed down DNA synthesis in the S phase and also extended the S phase. These results indicate that ADP-ribosylation may be involved in DNA replication and cell cycle progression, and suggest that ADPRT activity may be stimulated by transient short fragments of newly replicated DNA, exerting its effects at the later stages of DNA replication, most probably at the ligation step of DNA synthesis.