Sensitive and selective detection of adenine using fluorescent ZnS nanoparticles

We have used fluorescent ZnS nanoparticles as a probe for the determination of adenine. A typical 2 × 10(-7) M concentration of adenine quenches 39.3% of the ZnS fluorescence. The decrease in ZnS fluorescence as a function of adenine concentration was found to be linear in the concentration range 5 × 10(-9)-2 × 10(-7) M. The limit of detection (LOD) of adenine by this method is 3 nM. Among the DNA bases, only adenine quenched the fluorescence of ZnS nanoparticles in the submicromolar concentration range, thus adding selectivity to the method. The amino group of adenine was important in determining the quenching efficiency. Steady-state fluorescence experiments suggest that one molecule of adenine is sufficient to quench the emission arising from a cluster of ZnS consisting of about 20 molecules. Time-resolved fluorescence measurements indicate that the adenine molecules block the sites on the surface of ZnS responsible for emission with the longest lifetime component. This method may be applied for the determination of adenine in biological samples since the measurements have been carried out at pH 7.

Electrochemically fabricated self-aligned 2-D silver/alumina arrays as reliable SERS sensors

A novel SERS sensor for adenine molecules is fabricated electrochemically using an ordered two-dimensional array of self-aligned silver nanoparticles encapsulated by alumina. Silver is electro-deposited on the interior surfaces at the bottom of nano-channels in a porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) film. After etching aluminum, the back-end alumina serves as a SERS substrate. SERS enhancement factor greater than 10(6) is measured by 532 nm illumination. It exhibits robust chemical stability and emits reproducible Raman signals from repetitive uses for eight weeks. The inexpensive mass production process makes this reliable, durable and sensitive plasmon based optical device promising for many applications.

Concentrations of tenofovir and emtricitabine in breast milk of HIV-1-infected women in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, in the ANRS 12109 TEmAA Study, Step 2

The aim was to evaluate emtricitabine (FTC) and tenofovir (TFV) neonatal ingestion through breast milk. Median TFV and FTC breast milk doses represented 0.03% and 2%, respectively, of the proposed oral infant doses. Neonatal simulated plasma concentrations were extremely low for TFV but between the half-maximal inhibitory concentration and the adult minimal expected concentration for FTC. The rare children who will acquire HIV despite TDF-FTC therapy will need to be monitored for viral resistance acquisition.

Fate of the antiretroviral drug tenofovir in agricultural soil

Tenofovir (9-(R)-(2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl)-adenine) is an antiretroviral drug widely used for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. Tenofovir is extensively and rapidly excreted unchanged in the urine. In the expectation that tenofovir could potentially reach agricultural lands through the application of municipal biosolids or wastewater, and in the absence of any environmental fate data, we evaluated its persistence in selected agricultural soils. Less than 10% of [adenine-8-(14)C]-tenofovir added to soils varying widely in texture (sand, loam, clay loam) was mineralized in a 2-month incubation under laboratory conditions. Tenofovir was less readily extractable from clay soils than from a loam or a sandy loam soil. Radioactive residues of tenofovir were removed from the soil extractable fraction with DT(50)s ranging from 24±2 to 67+22days (first order kinetic model) or 44+9 to 127+55days (zero order model). No extractable transformation products were detectable by HPLC. Tenofovir mineralization in the loam soil increased with temperature (range 4°C to 30°C), and did not occur in autoclaved soil, suggesting a microbial basis. Mineralization rates increased with soil moisture content, ranging from air-dried to saturated. In summary, tenofovir was relatively persistent in soils, there were no extractable transformation products detected, and the response of [adenine-8-(14)C]-tenofovir mineralization to soil temperature and heat sterilization indicated that the molecule was biodegraded by aerobic microorganisms. Sorption isotherms with dewatered biosolids suggested that tenofovir residues could potentially partition into the particulate fraction during sewage treatment.

Label-free and highly sensitive biomolecular detection using SERS and electrokinetic preconcentration

In this paper, we present a method combining surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy to detect biomolecules in a label-free way with an electrokinetic preconcentration technique (electrophoresis) to amplify biomolecular signals at low concentrations. A constant electric field is applied to charged biomolecules in solution, attracting them to an oppositely charged electrode, which is also used as a SERS substrate. Within 5 min, we observed that the SERS signal of 10 fM adenine was amplified to the level of the signal of non-preconcentrated 1 microM adenine (sensitivity improvement by 8 orders of magnitude) and the method was effective over a wide range of concentrations (10 fM to 1 microM). The signals were further amplified under stronger electric field and longer application: The increase of the signal intensity was observed to be 51 times at -0.6 V cm(-1) after 25 min. The effectiveness of this method allows the creation of label-free, target-specific, and highly sensitive monitoring applications.

Alternative polyadenylation variants of the RNA binding protein, HuR: abundance, role of AU-rich elements and auto-Regulation

The RNA-binding protein, HuR, is involved in the stabilization of AU-rich element-containing mRNAs with products that are involved in cell-cycle progression, cell differentiation and inflammation. We show that there are multiple polyadenylation variants of HuR mRNA that differ in their abundance, using both bioinformatics and experimental approaches. A polyadenylation variant with distal poly(A) signal is a rare transcript that harbors functional AU-rich elements (ARE) in the 3'UTR. A minimal 60-nt region, but not a mutant form, fused to reporter-3'UTR constructs was able to downregulate the reporter activity. The most predominant and alternatively polyadenylated mature transcript does not contain the ARE. HuR itself binds HuR mRNA, and upregulated the activity of reporter from constructs fused with ARE-isoform and the HuR ARE. Wild-type tristetraprolin (TTP), but not the zinc finger mutant TTP, competes for HuR binding and upregulation of HuR mRNA. The study shows that the HuR gene codes for several polyadenylation variants differentially regulated by AU-rich elements, and demonstrates an auto-regulatory role of HuR.

Application of UV-spectrophotometric methods for estimation of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in tablets

Two new, simple and cost effective UV-spectrophotometric and first order derivative methods were developed for estimation of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in bulk and tablets. Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate was estimated at 260 nm in 0.1N HCl. In first order derivative, it showed amplitude at 273 nm. In both the methods linearity was found to be in the range of 5-40 micro/ ml; for UV-spectrophotometric method (Y=0.02586 x +0.0083; r(2)=0.9999) and for first order derivative spectrophotometric method (Y=0.00132 x +0.00035; r(2)=0.9995), respectively. These methods were tested and validated for various parameters according to USP guidelines. The quantitation limits were found to be 1.546 and 1.986 micro/ ml, for both the methods. The proposed methods were successfully applied for the determination of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in pharmaceutical formulations. The results demonstrated that the procedure is accurate, precise and reproducible (relative standard deviation <2%), while being simple, cheap and less time consuming and can be suitably applied for the estimation of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in different dosage forms.

[Study on HPLC fingerprint characteristic analysis of Cordyceps sinensis and its similar products]

OBJECTIVE

To study on HPLC fingerprint characteristic analysis of Cordyceps sinensis and its similar products.

METHODS

To determinate 13 samples of Cordyceps sinensis and its similar products by HPLC, and analyze the HPLC results with similar appraisal method and graphical methods of multivariate sample in two dimensional plane such as the methods of profile, radar chart and constellation graph.

RESULTS

The similar appraisal method might synthesize the similar degree in quantification, while the graphical methods such as profile graph, radar chart and constellation graph could show more details about the classification and the characteristic of varieties directly.

CONCLUSIONS

We recommend the combined application of similar appraisal method and the graphical methods due to its advantages on the judgment and characteristic analysis of fingerprint.

Measuring CPEB-mediated cytoplasmic polyadenylation-deadenylation in Xenopus laevis oocytes and egg extracts

The regulation of poly(A) tail length is one important mechanism for controlling gene expression during early animal development. In Xenopus oocytes, the polyadenylation-deadenylation of several essential dormant mRNAs, including cyclin B1 mRNA, are controlled by the cis-acting cytoplasmic polyadenylation element (CPE) and the hexanucleotide AAUAAA through their associations with protein factors CPEB and CPSF, respectively. CPE-containing, as well as CPE-lacking, pre-mRNAs acquire long poly(A) tails in the nucleus; after their export to the cytoplasm, there is subsequent deadenylation of CPE-containing mRNAs that is controlled by the CPEB-associated factor PARN, a poly(A)-specific ribonuclease. In general, re-adenylation after meiotic maturation of CPE-containing mRNAs is mediated by Gld2, a poly(A) polymerase. Moreover, embryonic poly(A)-binding protein, ePAB, is required for the subsequent elongation and stabilization of the poly(A) tail against PARN and other deadenylating enzymes. In this chapter, we present detailed information for measuring CPEB-mediated cytoplasmic polyadenylation-deadenylation in Xenopus laevis oocytes and egg extracts.

Lipid peroxidation-induced DNA damage in cancer-prone inflammatory diseases: a review of published adduct types and levels in humans

Persistent oxidative stress and excess lipid peroxidation (LPO), induced by inflammatory processes, impaired metal storage, and/or dietary imbalance, cause accumulations and massive DNA damage. This massive DNA damage, along with deregulation of cell homeostasis, leads to malignant diseases. Reactive aldehydes produced by LPO, such as 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, malondialdehyde, acrolein, and crotonaldehyde, react directly with DNA bases or generate bifunctional intermediates which form exocyclic DNA adducts. Modification of DNA bases by these electrophiles, yielding promutagenic exocyclic adducts, is thought to contribute to the mutagenic and carcinogenic effects associated with oxidative stress-induced LPO. Ultrasensitive detection methods have facilitated studies of the concentrations of promutagenic DNA adducts in human tissues, white blood cells, and urine, where they are excreted as modified nucleosides and bases. Thus, immunoaffinity-(32)P-postlabeling, high-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, immunoslotblot assay, and immunohistochemistry have made it possible to detect background concentrations of adducts arising from endogenous LPO products in vivo and studies of their role in carcinogenesis. These background adduct levels in asymptomatic human tissues occur in the order of 1 adduct/10(8) and in organs affected by cancer-prone inflammatory diseases these can be 1 or 2 orders of magnitude higher. In this review, we critically discuss the accuracy of the available methods and their validation and summarize studies in which measurement of exocyclic adducts suggested new mechanisms of cancer causation, providing potential biomarkers for cancer risk assessment in humans with cancer-prone diseases.

Room temperature ionic liquid as matrix medium for the determination of residual solvents in pharmaceuticals by static headspace gas chromatography

Using new solvent room temperature ionic liquid (IL) matrix media, testing of residual solvents in pharmaceutical preparations with static headspace gas chromatographic (SH-GC), is described. The purpose of this work was to demonstrate the feasibility of IL as diluent, six solvents utilized in synthesis of Adefovir Dipivoxil: acetonitrile, dichloromethane, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), toluene, dimethylformamide (DMF), n-butyl ether were dissolved in IL: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim]BF(4)). The method of external standard was used for quantitative analysis. Its performance was evaluated and validated: all the RSD were lower than 10%, the limits of detection were all of the ppm level and the method was both accurate and linear. And better sensitivities for the six solvents were gained with [bmim]BF(4) as diluent comparing with DMSO.

Purine nucleobase transport in the intraerythrocytic malaria parasite

Hypoxanthine, a nucleobase, serves as the major source of the essential purine group for the intraerythrocytic malaria parasite. In this study we have measured the uptake of hypoxanthine, and that of the related purine nucleobase adenine, by mature blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum parasites isolated from their host cells by saponin-permeabilisation of the erythrocyte and parasitophorous vacuole membranes. The uptake of both [3H]hypoxanthine and [3H]adenine was comprised of at least two components; in each case there was a rapid equilibration of the radiolabel between the intra- and extracellular solutions via a low-affinity transport mechanism, and an accumulation of radiolabel (such that the estimated intracellular concentration exceeded the extracellular concentration) via a higher-affinity process. The uptake of [3H]adenine was studied in more detail. The rapid, low-affinity equilibration of [3H]adenine between the intra-and extracellular solution was independent of the energy status of the parasite whereas the higher-affinity accumulation of the radiolabel was ATP-dependent. A kinetic analysis of adenine uptake revealed that the low-affinity (equilibrative) process had a Km of approximately 1.2mM, similar to the value of 0.82 mM estimated here (using the Xenopus laevis oocyte expression system) for the Km for the transport of adenine by PfENT1, a parasite-encoded member of the 'equilibrative nucleoside/nucleobase transporter' family. The results indicate that nucleobases enter the intraerythrocytic parasite via a rapid, equilibrative process that has kinetic characteristics similar to those of PfENT1.

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of nucleosides and nucleobases in Ganoderma spp. by HPLC–DAD-MS

A high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS) analytical method was developed for detection of the nucleosides and nucleobases in two species of Lingzhi, the dried sporophore of Ganoderma lucidum and G. sinense. The method, combining advantages of both DAD and MS, was successfully used to qualitatively identify for six nucleosides namely, adenosine, cytidine, guanosine, inosine, thymidine, uridine and five nucleobases namely, adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine, thymine and uracil in Lingzhi samples. Quantitative analyses showed that uridine was the most abundant nucleoside in these Lingzhi samples and the contents of nine target analytes were found to be different in pileus and stipes of the fruiting bodies and among the different species of G. spp. The established method might apply as an alternative approach for the quality assessment of Lingzhi.

HPLC method for determination of in vitro delivery through and into porcine skin of adefovir (PMEA)

A simple HPLC/UV method for the determination of the transdermal permeation and dermal penetration of a broad-spectrum antiviral drug adefovir (PMEA) was developed. The separation was achieved on a C18 column with the mobile phase composed of 10 mM KH2PO4 and 2 mM Bu4NHSO4 at pH 6.0 and 7% acetonitrile. The method was validated with respect to selectivity, linearity (0.1-50 microg/ml), precision, accuracy, and stability. Transdermal permeation of 2% PMEA was studied in vitro using the Franz diffusion cell and porcine skin. The flux values were 1.8, 3.0, and 0.6 microg/cm2/h from aqueous donor samples at pH 3.4 and 7.4, and isopropyl myristate, respectively. The respective skin concentrations at 48 h were 294, 263, and 971 microg/g from these vehicles. These results will serve as a lead for further studies on transdermal and topical delivery of antivirals from the group of acyclic nucleoside phosphonates.

Synthesis of DNA oligodeoxynucleotides containing structurally defined N6-(2-hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl)-adenine adducts of 3,4-epoxy-1-butene

3,4-Epoxy-1-butene (EB) is generated by cytochrome P450-mediated epoxidation of 1,3-butadiene (BD), an important environmental and industrial chemical classified as a probable human carcinogen. The ability of EB to induce point mutations at GC and AT base pairs has been attributed to its reactions with DNA to form covalent nucleobase adducts. Guanine alkylation is preferred at the endocyclic N7 nitrogen, while adenine can be modified at the N1-, N3-, N7-, and the N6 positions. For each of these sites, a pair of regioisomeric 2-hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl and 1-hydroxy-3-buten-2-yl adducts is produced as a result of epoxide ring opening at the terminal C-4 or the internal C-3 carbon position of EB, respectively. The N6-EB-adenine adducts are of particular interest because of their stability in DNA, potentially leading to their accumulation in vivo. In the present work, synthetic DNA oligomers containing structurally defined N6-(2-hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl)-dA (N6-HB-dA) adducts were prepared for the first time by a postoligomerization approach that involved coupling 6-chloropurine-containing DNA with synthetic 1-amino-3-buten-2-ol. N6-HB-dA-containing DNA oligomers were isolated by reversed phase HPLC, and the presence of N6-HB-dA in their structure was confirmed by molecular weight determination from HPLC-ESI- -MS of the intact strands and by HPLC-ESI+-MS/MS and MS/MS/MS analyses of the enzymatic digests using synthetic N6-HB-dA as an authentic standard. N6-HB-dA-containing oligomers generated in this study will be used for structural and biological studies.

Sequence analysis of p53 response-elements suggests multiple binding modes of the p53 tetramer to DNA targets

The p53 tetramer recognizes specifically a 20-bp DNA element. Here, we examined symmetries encoded in p53 response elements (p53REs). We analyzed base inversion correlations within the half-site, as well as in the full-site palindrome. We found that p53REs are not only direct repeats of half-sites; rather, two p53 half-sites couple to form a higher order 20 bp palindrome. The palindrome couplings between the half-sites are stronger for the human than for the mouse genome. The full-site palindrome and half-site palindrome are controlled by insertions between the two half-sites. The most notable feature is that the full-site palindrome with coupling between quarter-sites one and four (H14 coupling) dominates the p53REs without insertions. The most frequently observed insertion in human p53REs of 3 bp enhances the half-site palindrome. The statistical frequencies of the coupling between the half-sites in the human genome correlate with grouped experimental p53 affinities with p53REs. Examination of known p53REs indicates the H14 couplings are stronger for positive regulation than for negatively regulated p53REs, with repressors having the lowest H14 couplings. We propose that the palindromic sequence couplings may encode such potential preferred multiple binding modes of the p53 tetramer to DNA.

Quantification of the bioactive compound eritadenine in selected strains of shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes)

Cardiovascular disease is one of the most common causes of death in the Western world, and a high level of blood cholesterol is considered a risk factor. The edible fungus, shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes), contains the hypocholesterolemic agent eritadenine, 2(R),3(R)-dihydroxy-4-(9-adenyl)-butyric acid. This study was conducted to quantify the amount of the cholesterol reducing agent eritadenine in shiitake mushrooms, in search of a potential natural medicine against blood cholesterol. The amounts of eritadenine in the fruit bodies of four different shiitake mushrooms, Le-1, Le-2, Le-A, and Le-B, were investigated in this study. To achieve this goal, methanol extraction was used to recover as much as possible of the hypocholesterolemic agent from the fungal cells. In addition, enzymes that degrade the fungal cell walls were also used to elucidate if the extraction could be further enhanced. To analyze the target compound, a reliable and reproducible HPLC method for separation, identification, and quantification of eritadenine was developed. The shiitake strains under investigation exhibit up to 10 times higher levels of eritadenine than previously reported for other shiitake strains. Further, pretreating the mushrooms with hydrolytic enzymes before methanol extraction resulted in an insignificant increase in the amount of eritadenine released. These results indicate the potential for delivery of therapeutic amounts of eritadenine from the ingestion of extracts or dried concentrates of shiitake mushroom strains.

[Study on HPEC fingerprint of cultured Cordyceps militaris]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the High Performance Capillary Electrophoresis (HPCE) fingerprint of cultured Cordyceps militaris (L.) Link.

METHODS

Separation was performed on a 50 cm x 75 microm uncoated capillary with 0.5 mmol/L borate solution (pH 9. 18) as HPEC buffer. The run voltage was 20 Kv, temperature 25 degrees C and the DAD detection was set at 254nm.

RESULTS

Fingerprint consisted of 11 common peaks. The validation of methods was satisfied with the requirements for SFDA's technical regulations.

CONCLUSION

The method was accurate and simple and suitable to the quality control of cultured Cordyceps militaris (L.) Link.

Detection of Functional Ricin by Immunoaffinity and Liquid Chromatography−Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The toxin ricin is a biological weapon that may be used for bioterrorist purposes. As a member of the group of ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), ricin has an A-chain possessing N-glycosidase activity which irreversibly inhibits protein synthesis. In this paper, we demonstrate that provided appropriate sample preparation is used, this enzymatic activity can be exploited for functional ricin detection with sensitivity similar to the best ELISA and specificity allowing application to environmental samples. Ricin is first captured by a monoclonal antibody directed against the B chain and immobilized on magnetic beads. Detection is then realized by determination of the adenine released by the A chain from an RNA template using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The immunoaffinity step combined with the enzymatic activity detection leads to a specific assay for the entire functional ricin with a lower limit of detection of 0.1 ng/mL (1.56 pM) after concentration of the toxin from a 500 microL sample size. The variability of the assay was 10%. Finally, the method was applied successfully to milk and tap or bottled water samples.

Determination of the impurity profile of adenosine by means of ion-pair reversed-phase chromatography

Production processes of adenosine include condensation of ribose and adenine by means of chemical or biochemical processes, as well as fermentation. Nowadays, adenosine is commonly produced by alkaline hydrolysis of yeast ribonucleic acid, often in the presence of calcium or lead ions, followed by chromatographic separation of the obtained nucleosides adenosine, cytidine, guanosine and uridine. The current Ph. Eur. monograph for adenosine describes a TLC method for determination of related substances that limits the impurities to 1 per cent. To ensure the quality of adenosine, it is proposed to replace the TLC method by a more sensitive and selective HPLC method, in accordance with the current policy for control of impurities as defined by the Ph. Eur. Commission. An HPLC separation system, originally proposed by the USP, using ion-pair reversed-phase chromatography in combination with tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulphate as an ion-pair reagent, has been examined for its suitability to limit guanosine, inosine, uridine and adenine. This article describes the experiments as regards the choice of the most suitable commercial column to obtain an appropriate separation, the column temperature, the establishment of a relevant system suitability criterion, and the determination of correction factors for the individual impurities.

Voltammetric quantification of adenine and guanine at C60 modified glassy carbon electrodes

Voltammetric determination of adenine and guanine has been carried out at C60 modified glassy carbon electrode at physiological pH. Well-defined oxidation peaks were observed with Ep at approximately 990 mV and 692 mV for adenine and guanine respectively. Good colinearity was obtained in the concentration range 0.5 microM to 100.0 microM for adenine and guanine with sensitivity of approximately 0.06 microA microM(-1) and approximately 0.03 microA /microM(-1), respectively. Simultaneous voltammetric determination of adenine and guanine has been described. Recovery studies for adenine and guanine in biological samples were also carried out. Interfering effect of some common metabolites including ascorbic acid has been evaluated. Analytical application of the developed protocol for determination of (G +C)/(A + T) ratio in DNA sample is also described.

Application of the Mars Organic Analyzer to nucleobase and amine biomarker detection

The Mars Organic Analyzer (MOA), a portable microfabricated capillary electrophoresis instrument being developed for planetary exploration, is used to analyze a wide variety of fluorescamine-labeled amine-containing biomarker compounds, including amino acids, mono and diaminoalkanes, amino sugars, nucleobases, and nucleobase degradation products. The nucleobases cytosine and adenine, which contain an exocyclic primary amine, were effectively labeled, separated, and detected at concentrations <500 nM. To test the general applicability of the MOA for biomarker detection, amino acids and mono- and diamines were extracted from bacterial cells using both hydrolysis and sublimation followed by analysis. The extrapolated limit of detection provided by the valine biomarker was approximately 4 x 10(3) cells per sample. Products of an NH(4)CN polymerization that simulate a prebiotic synthesis were also successfully isolated via sublimation and analyzed. Adenine and alanine/serine were detected with no additional sample cleanup at 120 +/- 13 microM and 4.1 +/- 1 microM, respectively, corresponding to a reaction yield of 0.04% and 0.0003%, respectively. This study demonstrates that the MOA provides sensitive detection and analysis of low levels of a wide variety of amine-containing organic compounds from both biological and abiotic sources.

Contrasting genome-wide distribution of 8-hydroxyguanine and acrolein-modified adenine during oxidative stress-induced renal carcinogenesis

Oxidative stress is a persistent threat to the genome and is associated with major causes of human mortality, including cancer, atherosclerosis, and aging. Here we established a method to generate libraries of genomic DNA fragments containing oxidatively modified bases by using specific monoclonal antibodies to immunoprecipitate enzyme-digested genome DNA. We applied this technique to two different base modifications, 8-hydroxyguanine and 1,N6-propanoadenine (acrotein-Ade), in a ferric nitrilotriacetate-induced murine renal carcinogenesis model. Renal cortical genomic DNA derived from 10- to 12-week-old male C57BL/6 mice, of untreated control or 6 hours after intraperitoneal injection of 3 mg iron/kg ferric nitrilotriacetate, was enzyme digested, immunoprecipitated, cloned, and mapped to each chromosome. The results revealed that distribution of the two modified bases was not random but differed in terms of chromosomes, gene size, and expression, which could be partially explained by chromosomal territory. In the wild-type mice, low GC content areas were more likely to harbor the two modified bases. Knockout of OGG1, a repair enzyme for genomic 8-hydroxyguanine, increased the amounts of acrolein-Ade as determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses. This versatile technique would introduce a novel research area as a high-throughput screening method for critical genomic loci under oxidative stress.

Cross sections for low-energy electron scattering from adenine in the condensed phase

Measurements of the vibrational and electronic excitation of a sub-monolayer up to a monolayer film of adenine were performed with a high resolution electron energy-loss (HREEL) spectrometer. The integral cross sections (over the half-space angle) for excitation of the normal vibrational modes of the ground electronic state and electronically excited states are calculated from the measured reflectivity EEL spectra. Most cross sections for vibrational excitation are of the order of 10(-17) cm(2), the largest being the out-of-plane wagging of the amino-group and the six-member ring deformations. A wide resonance feature appears in the incident energy dependence of the vibrational cross sections at 3-5 eV, while a weak shoulder is present in this dependence for combined ring deformations and bending of hydrogen atoms. For the five excited electronic states, at 4.7, 5.0, 5.5, 6.1 and 6.6 eV, the cross sections are of the order of 10(-18) cm(2), except in the case of the state at the energy of 6.1 eV, for which it is two to three times higher.