The inhibitory effect of esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (kelletinins I and A), extracted from the marine gastropod Buccinulum corneum, have been tested on eukaryotic and prokaryotic enzymes of DNA metabolism such as DNA polymerases alpha and beta, DNA polymerase I, Exo III, pancreatic DNAse I, micrococcal DNAse and E. coli RNA polymerase. Kelletinin I and kelletinin A inhibit preferentially DNA polymerase alpha. The inhibitory effect of kelletinin I involves the hydroxyl group of p-hydroxybenzoic acid
