We have utilized acrolein as a model compound to examine the biochemical behavior of chemically-modified DNA polymerase alpha-primase complex (pol alpha). We have found that acrolein irreversibly inactivates the DNA synthetic capacity of pol alpha polymerase in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Double-stranded DNA protects pol alpha polymerase from inactivation when present during acrolein exposure, but single-stranded DNA, dATP and ATP do not. Strikingly, the activity of pol alpha polymerase is strongly dependent upon the DNA substrate utilized to assay catalytic activity after exposure to the aldehyde. The primase activity of pol alpha is also inactivated by exposure to acrolein, but the observed rate of inactivation is slower than that seen for DNA synthesis. Competitive labeling studies with [14C] iodoacetamide suggest that acrolein inactivation of the enzyme is mediated through the modification of protein sulfhydryl groups.