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Abstract— DNA synthesis in methylazoxymethanol (MAM)‐treated foetal brain was reduced during the first 3 days after the injection of the compound into the mother rat. The MAM‐treated brain grew at almost the normal rate after this period, but the reduction in DNA persisted through maturity of the animal. This difference in DNA content between normal and microencephalic brain was restricted to the cerebral hemispheres. The major increase in DNA content of prenatal brain occurred in the cerebrum, whereas the postnatal increase took place in the cerebellum. jH‐Labelled MAM was incorporated more extensively into foetal brain DNA than into RNA. The half‐life of the MAM‐modified nucleic acids was 4–5 days. We suggest that removal of necrotic cells from the brain may account for the rapid loss of label from nucleic acids.

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