The adenovirus DNA-binding protein (AdDBP) is a multifunctional protein required for viral DNA replication and control of transcription. We have studied the binding of AdDBP to single-stranded M13 DNA and to the homopolynucleotides poly(rA), poly(dA), and poly(dT) by means of circular dichroism (CD) and optical density (OD) measurements. The binding to all these polynucleotides was strong and nearly stoichiometric. Titration experiments showed that the size of the binding site is 9-11 nucleotides long for M13 DNA, poly(dA), and poly(rA). A higher value (15.0 +/- 0.8) was found for poly(dT). Pronounced changes in the circular dichroism and optical density spectra were observed upon binding of AdDBP. In general, both the positive peak around 260-270 nm and the negative peak around 240-250 nm in the CD spectra decreased in intensity, and a shift of the crossover point to longer wavelengths was found. The OD spectra observed upon binding of AdDBP are remarkably similar to those obtained with prokaryotic helix-destabilizing proteins like bacteriophage T4 gene 32 protein and fd gene 5 protein. The data can best be interpreted by assuming that the AdDBP-polynucleotide complex has a regular, rigid, and extended configuration that satifies two criteria: (1) a considerable tilt of the bases in combination with (2) a small rotation per base and/or a shift of the bases closer to the helix axis.