The effect of novobiocin (NOV), and inhibitor of topoisomerase II, on ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)-or bleomycin (BLM)-induced DNA repair synthesis was examined during the cell cycle of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells. Three assays were employed in this study: cell survival, alkaline elution and unscheduled DNA synthesis. EMS was effective at killing CHO cells in G1 phase, wheras BLM preferentially killed cells in G2 and S phases. EMS induced the much more amount of DNA damage in G1 phase, while BLM induced in G2 phase than the other phases. The both of pre- and post-treatment with BOV inhibitied EMS- or BLM-induced DNA repair synthesis in G1 and G2 phases, and pretreatment with NOV inhibited more effectively than the post-treated group. These results suggested that CHO cells exhibited a differential sensitivity to cell lethality and DNA damage in relation to cell cycle according to used chemical agents, and that DNA topoisomerase II participated in an initial stage of DNA repair.