Purification and properties of a DNA ligase from sea urchin embryos. DNA ligase was purified about 2,000-fold from blastulae of sea urchin, Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus, by means of 1 M KCl-extraction, phosphocellulose, DEAE-cellulose, Sepharose CL-6B, and double-stranded DNA cellulose column chromatography. The purified DNA ligase had a molecular weight of 80,000 (determined by Sephadex G-150) and a sedimentation coefficient of 4.1S (by glycerol gradient centrifugation). The purified enzyme required ATP and Mg2+ (or Mn2+) as cofactors for activity, and was inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide. Apparent Km values for ATP, Mg2+, and Mn2+ were 4 microM, 2.7 mM, and 0.3 mM, respectively.