Following treatment of human fibroblasts with dimethyl-sulphate, more breaks persisted in DNA in cells incubated with 3-aminobenzamide, an inhibitor of ADP-ribosyltransferase, than in its absence. This effect of 3-aminobenzamide was more pronounced in non-dividing than in dividing cells. If non-dividing cells were treated with dimethylsulphate and then incubated for a few hours in the absence of 3-aminobenzamide, few breaks were detectable in the DNA. Subsequent addition of 3-aminobenzamide resulted in the reappearance of many breaks in the DNA. These data suggest that continued synthesis of poly(ADP-ribose) reduces the steady state level of breaks during excision repair of alkylation damage. This is probably mediated by the stimulation of DNA ligase activity. Inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis with 3-aminobenzamide maintains or restores a higher steady-state level of breaks.