2',3'-dideoxy-2',3'-dehydrothymidine 5'-triphosphate (dddTTP) shows termination substrate properties in the DNA synthesis catalyzed by E. coli DNA polymerase I KF, rat liver DNA polymerase beta, reverse transcriptases of avian myeloblastosis virus and Raus sarcoma virus and calf thymus terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. This implies that the mononucleotide residue of dddTTP incorporates into 3'-termini of newly synthesized DNA chains. However, dddTTP has no influence on the DNA synthesis catalyzed by calf thymus DNA polymerase alpha. In the case of some DNA polymerases dddTTP was one order of magnitude more effective in comparison with the other known termination substrates.