The boundaries of the origin of polyoma DNA replication have been analyzed using a set of deletion mutants. The majority of these had small deletions, 5 to 30 basepairs in size, which together removed most of the non-translated sequences of the genome. The phenotype of the mutants was characterized by analysis of infectivity, transforming ability and DNA synthesis. All mutants with reduced or abolished infectivity had corresponding defects of viral DNA synthesis. The effect of the deletion was cis-acting, since the replication of the mutants was not stimulated by the presence of wild-type DNA. Deletions causing a reduction of DNA synthesis were found at two sites. The first at the 32 base-pair inverted repeat sequence and the neighbouring A . T tract previously implicated in the initiation of DNA synthesis, and the second close to the late genes. The two sites were separated by at least 60 base-pairs of non-essential DNA. Only one mutant with a deletion at the second site was unable to express early gene functions. The mutants were constructed by linearization, shortening and recircularization of polyoma DNA inserted into the plasmid pBR322. The mutagenesis was directed at restriction endonuclease BglI or PvuII cleavage sites. The BglI-directed mutagenesis was focussed to polyoma DNA by using as a vector a derivative of pBR322 resistant to cleavage by BglI.