The level of the cytoplasmic ribonucleotide reductase nonheme-iron-containing L2 subunit in regenerating rat liver cells began rising about 2 h before the onset of DNA synthesis, rose sharply to a maximum level about 4 h before the DNA-synthetic activity reached its peak, and then stayed at this high level even after the cells had finished replicating their DNA. The cytoplasmic level of the CDP-specific, effector-binding L1 subunit and the holoenzyme activity began rising together about 2 h after the L2 subunit began increasing and at the same time as the DNA-synthetic activity, but subsequently rose much more slowly than the L2 subunit and continued rising even after the cells had finished making DNA. The nuclear level of the L2 subunit did not rise in the regenerating liver cells, but the nuclear level of the L1 subunit and the holoenzyme activity began rising together about the same time as the DNA-synthetic activity, peaked briefly 4-6 h before the peak DNA-synthetic activity, and dropped sharply back to the basal levels by the time the DNA-synthetic activity reached its peak, but then rose again slowly as the cells finished making DNA. Thyroparathyroidectomy 72 h before partial hepatectomy prevented the cytoplasmic and nuclear subunits and holoenzyme activity from rising and prevented most of the remaining liver cells from initiating DNA synthesis.