Inactivation of the T7 coliphage by the diepoxybutane stereoisomers

Cross-linking by epichlorohydrin and diepoxybutane correlates with cytotoxicity and leads to apoptosis in human leukemia (HL-60) cells

The bifunctional alkylating agents epichlorohydrin (ECH) and diepoxybutane (DEB) have been linked to increased cancer risks in industrial workers. These compounds react with DNA and proteins, leading to genotoxic effects. We used the comet assay to monitor formation of cross-links in HL-60 cells treated with ECH, DEB, and the structurally related anti-cancer drug mechlorethamine (HN2). We report a time- and dose-dependent cytotoxicity that correlated with cross-linking activity, following the order HN2 > DEB > ECH. The rate of cross-link repair also varied with drug, with ECH-induced lesions the fastest to repair. High drug doses led to the formation of saturating amounts of HN2 cross-links that were repaired inefficiently. DEB and ECH produced fewer overall cross-links, but some were also resistant to repair. These persistent cross-links may activate cell-cycle arrest to allow repair of damage, with prolonged arrest triggering apoptosis. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction experiments revealed that treatment of HL-60 cells with DEB and ECH results in up-regulation of several genes involved in the intrinsic (mitochondrial) apoptosis pathway, including BAX, BAK1, CASP-9, APAF-1, and BCL-2. These findings contribute to our understanding of the principles underlying the carcinogenic potentials of these xenobiotics.

Structures of exocyclic R,R- and S,S-N(6),N(6)-(2,3-dihydroxybutan-1,4-diyl)-2'-deoxyadenosine adducts induced by 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane

1,3-Butadiene (BD) is an industrial and environmental chemical present in urban air and cigarette smoke, and is classified as a human carcinogen. It is oxidized by cytochrome P450 to form 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane (DEB); DEB bis-alkylates the N(6) position of adenine in DNA. Two enantiomers of bis-N(6)-dA adducts of DEB have been identified: R,R-N(6),N(6)-(2,3-dihydroxybutan-1,4-diyl)-2'-deoxyadenosine (R,R-DHB-dA), and S,S-N(6),N(6)-(2,3-dihydroxybutan-1,4-diyl)-2'-deoxyadenosine (S,S-DHB-dA) [ Seneviratne , U. , Antsypovich , S. , Dorr , D. Q. , Dissanayake , T. , Kotapati , S. , and Tretyakova , N. ( 2010 ) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 23 , 1556 -1567 ]. Herein, the R,R-DHB-dA and S,S-DHB-dA adducts have been incorporated into the 5'-d(C(1)G(2)G(3)A(4)C(5)X(6)A(7)G(8)A(9)A(10)G(11))-3':5'-d(C(12)T(13)T(14)C(15)T(16)T(17)G(18)T(19)C(20)C(21)G(22))-3' duplex [X(6) = R,R-DHB-dA (R(6)) or S,S-DHB-dA (S(6))]. The structures of the duplexes were determined by molecular dynamics calculations, which were restrained by experimental distances obtained from NMR data. Both the R,R- and S,S-DHB-dA adducts are positioned in the major groove of DNA. In both instances, the bulky 3,4-dihydroxypyrrolidine rings are accommodated by an out-of-plane rotation about the C6-N(6) bond of the bis-alkylated adenine. In both instances, the directionality of the dihydroxypyrrolidine ring is evidenced by the pattern of NOEs between the 3,4-dihydroxypyrrolidine protons and DNA. Also in both instances, the anti conformation of the glycosyl bond is maintained, which combined with the out-of-plane rotation about the C6-N(6) bond, allows the complementary thymine, T(17), to remain stacked within the duplex, and form one hydrogen bond with the modified base, between the imine nitrogen of the modified base and the T(17) N3H imino proton. The loss of the second Watson-Crick hydrogen bonding interaction at the lesion sites correlates with the lower thermal stabilities of the R,R- and S,S-DHB-dA duplexes, as compared to the corresponding unmodified duplex. The reduced base stacking at the adduct sites may also contribute to the thermal instability.

1,3-Butadiene: II. Genotoxicity profile

1,3-Butadiene’s (BD’s) major electrophilic metabolites 1,2-epoxy-3-butene (EB), 1,2-dihydroxy-3,4-epoxybutane (EBD), and 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane (DEB) are responsible for both its mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. EB, EBD, and DEB are DNA reactive, forming a variety of adducts. All three metabolites are genotoxic in vitro and in vivo, with relative mutagenic potencies of DEB >> EB > EBD. DEB also effectively produces gene deletions and chromosome aberrations. BD’s greater mutagenicity and carcinogenicity in mice over rats as well as its failure to induce chromosome-level mutations in vivo in rats appear to be due to greater production of DEB in mice. Concentrations of EB and DEB in vivo in humans are even lower than in rats. Although most studies of BD-exposed humans have failed to find increases in gene mutations, one group has reported positive findings. Reasons for these discordant results are examined. BD-related chromosome aberrations have never been demonstrated in humans except for the possible production of micronuclei in lymphocytes of workers exposed to extremely high levels of BD in the workplace. The relative potencies of the BD metabolites, their relative abundance in the different species, and the kinds of mutations they can induce are major considerations in BD’s overall genotoxicity profile.

Exocyclic deoxyadenosine adducts of 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane: synthesis, structural elucidation, and mechanistic studies

1,2,3,4-Diepoxybutane (DEB) is considered the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of 1,3-butadiene, an important industrial chemical and environmental pollutant present in urban air. Although it preferentially modifies guanine within DNA, DEB induces a large number of A --> T transversions, suggesting that it forms strongly mispairing lesions at adenine nucleobases. We now report the discovery of three potentially mispairing exocyclic adenine lesions of DEB: N(6),N(6)-(2,3-dihydroxybutan-1,4-diyl)-2'-deoxyadenosine (compound 2), 1,N(6)-(2-hydroxy-3-hydroxymethylpropan-1,3-diyl)-2'-deoxyadenosine (compound 3), and 1,N(6)-(1-hydroxymethyl-2-hydroxypropan-1,3-diyl)-2'-deoxyadenosine (compound 4). The structures and stereochemistry of the novel DEB-dA adducts were determined by a combination of UV and NMR spectroscopy, tandem mass spectrometry, and independent synthesis. We found that synthetic N(6)-(2-hydroxy-3,4-epoxybut-1-yl)-2'-deoxyadenosine (compound 1) representing the product of N(6)-adenine alkylation by DEB spontaneously cyclizes to form 3 under aqueous conditions or 2 under anhydrous conditions in the presence of an organic base. Compound 3 can be interconverted with 4 by a reversible unimolecular pericyclic reaction favoring 4 as a more thermodynamically stable product. Both 3 and 4 are present in double stranded DNA treated with DEB in vitro and in liver DNA of laboratory mice exposed to 1,3-butadiene by inhalation. We propose that in DNA under physiological conditions, DEB alkylates the N-1 position of adenine in DNA to form N1-(2-hydroxy-3,4-epoxybut-1-yl)-adenine adducts, which undergo an S(N)2-type intramolecular nucleophilic substitution and rearrangement to give 3 (minor) and 4 (major). Formation of exocyclic DEB-adenine lesions following exposure to 1,3-butadiene provides a possible mechanism of mutagenesis at the A:T base pairs.

DNA interstrand cross-linking by epichlorohydrin

Epichlorohydrin (ECH), an important industrial chemical, is a bifunctional alkylating agent with the potential to form DNA cross-links. Occupational exposure to this suspect carcinogen leads to chromosomal aberrations, and ECH has been shown previously to undergo reaction with DNA in vivo and in vitro. We used denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to monitor the possible formation of interstrand cross-links within DNA oligomers by ECH and the related compound, epibromohydrin (EBH). Although both compounds did indeed form cross-links between deoxyguanosine residues, EBH was a more efficient cross-linker than ECH. The optimal pH for cross-linking also varied, with ECH more efficient at pH 5.0 and EBH more efficient at pH 7.0. Both agents were relatively flexible in the sequences targeted, with comparable efficiencies for 5'-GGC and 5'GC sites. Furthermore, interstrand cross-linking by the two optical isomers of ECH correlated with their relative cytotoxicities, with R-ECH about twice as potent as S-ECH.

HPLC−ESI+-MS/MS Analysis of N7-Guanine−N7-Guanine DNA Cross-Links in Tissues of Mice Exposed to 1,3-Butadiene

1,3-butadiene (BD) is a major industrial chemical used in rubber and plastics production and is recognized as an animal and human carcinogen. Although the exact mechanism of BD-induced carcinogenesis is unknown, chemical reactions of epoxide metabolites of BD with DNA to form nucleobase adducts are likely to contribute to multistage carcinogenesis. Among BD-derived epoxy metabolites, 1,2:3,4-diepoxybutane (DEB) appears to be the most genotoxic and carcinogenic, probably because of its bifunctional nature. Initial DNA alkylation by DEB produces N7-(2'-hydroxy-3',4'-epoxybut-1'-yl)guanine monoadducts, which can then be hydrolyzed to N7-(2',3',4'-trihydroxy-1'-yl)guanine or can react with another site in double-stranded DNA to form 1,4-bis(guan-7-yl)-2,3-butanediol (bis-N7G-BD) cross-links. While (2',3',4'-trihydroxy-1'-yl)guanine lesions have been previously quantified in vivo, they cannot be used as a biomarker of DEB because the same lesions are also formed by another, more prevalent BD metabolite, 1,2-epoxy-3,4-butanediol. In contrast, bis-N7G-BD can only be formed from DEB, potentially providing a specific biomarker of DEB formation. We have developed a quantitative HPLC-ESI+-MS/MS method for measuring racemic and meso forms of bis-N7G-BD in DNA extracted from tissues of BD-exposed laboratory animals. In our approach, bis-N7G-BD adducts are released from DNA as free bases by neutral thermal hydrolysis, purified by solid-phase extraction, and subjected to HPLC-ESI+-MS/MS analysis. Selected reaction monitoring is performed by following the loss of a guanine moiety from protonated molecules of bis-N7G-BD and the formation of protonated guanine under collision-induced dissociation. Quantitative analysis of racemic and meso forms of bis-N7G-BD is based on isotope dilution with the corresponding 15N-labeled internal standards. The lower limit of quantification of our current method is 10-20 fmol/0.1 mg of DNA. The accuracy and precision of the new method were determined by spiking control mouse liver DNA with racemic and meso forms of bis-N7G-BD (10 fmol each), followed by sample processing and HPLC-ESI+-MS/MS analysis. Calculated amounts of racemic and meso forms of bis-N7G-BD were within 20% of the theoretical value (9.7 +/- 2 and 9.2 +/- 1.9 fmol, respectively, N = 4). DNA extracted from liver and lung tissues of mice exposed to 625 ppm butadiene for 5 days contained 3.2 +/- 0.4 and 1.8 +/- 0.5 racemic adducts per 10(6) guanines, respectively, while the amounts of meso-bis-N7G-BD were below the detection limits of our method (1 per 10(7) guanines). Control animals did not contain either bis-N7G-BD lesion. Sensitive and specific quantitative methods for bis-N7G-BD analysis developed in this work provide a unique biomarker of DEB-induced DNA alkylation following exposure to BD.

Mutagenesis of the supF gene by stereoisomers of 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane

1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane (DEB) is a key metabolite of the important industrial chemical and environmental contaminant, 1,3-butadiene (BD). Although all three optical isomers of DEB, S,S-, R,R-, and meso-DEB, are produced by metabolic processing of BD, S,S-DEB exhibits the most potent genotoxicity and cytotoxicity, followed by R,R- and then meso-DEB. Our previous studies suggested that the observed differences between the biological effects of DEB optical isomers may be structural in their origin. Although S,S- and R,R-DEB produced mainly 1,3-interstrand 1,4-bis-(guan-7-yl)-2,3-butanediol (bis-N7G-BD) cross-links, meso-diepoxide induced equal numbers of intrastrand and interstrand bis-N7G-BD lesions. In the present study, the mutagenicity of the three DEB stereoisomers in the supF gene was investigated. We found that S,S-DEB was the most potent mutagen. Interestingly, mutation specificity and mutant spectra were strongly dependent on DEB stereochemistry. Although A:T to T:A transversions were the major form of mutation observed following treatment with each of the three stereoisomers (35-40%), S,S-DEB induced higher numbers of G:C to A:T transitions, whereas R,R-DEB treatment resulted in a greater frequency of G:C to T:A transversions. Our results are consistent with the stereospecific induction of promutagenic nucleobase adducts other than G-G cross-links by DEB stereoisomers.

Structure of the 1,4-Bis(2'-deoxyadenosin-N(6)-yl)-2S,3S-butanediol intrastrand DNA cross-link arising from butadiene diepoxide in the human N-ras codon 61 sequence

The 1,4-bis(2'-deoxyadenosin-N(6)-yl)-2S,3S-butanediol intrastrand DNA cross-link arises from the bis-alkylation of tandem N(6)-dA sites in DNA by R,R-butadiene diepoxide (BDO(2)). The oligodeoxynucleotide 5'-d(C(1)G(2)G(3)A(4)C(5)X(6)Y(7)G(8)A(9)A(10)G(11))-3'.5'-d(C(12)T(13)T(14)C(15)T(16)T(17)G(18)T(19)C(20)C(21)G(22))-3' contains the BDO(2) cross-link between the second and third adenines of the codon 61 sequence (underlined) of the human N-ras protooncogene and is named the (S,S)-BD-(61-2,3) cross-link (X,Y = cross-linked adenines). NMR analysis reveals that the cross-link is oriented in the major groove of duplex DNA. Watson-Crick base pairing is perturbed at base pair X(6).T(17), whereas base pairing is intact at base pair Y(7).T(16). The cross-link appears to exist in two conformations, in rapid exchange on the NMR time scale. In the first conformation, the beta-OH is predicted to form a hydrogen bond with T(16) O(4), whereas in the second, the beta-OH is predicted to form a hydrogen bond with T(17) O(4). In contrast to the (R,R)-BD-(61-2,3) cross-link in the same sequence (Merritt, W. K., Nechev, L. V., Scholdberg, T. A., Dean, S. M., Kiehna, S. E., Chang, J. C., Harris, T. M., Harris, C. M., Lloyd, R. S., and Stone, M. P. (2005) Biochemistry 44, 10081-10092), the anti-conformation of the two hydroxyl groups at C(beta) and C(gamma) with respect to the C(beta)-C(gamma) bond results in a decreased twist between base pairs X(6).T(17) and Y(7).T(16), and an approximate 10 degrees bending of the duplex. These conformational differences may account for the differential mutagenicity of the (S,S)- and (R,R)-BD-(61-2,3) cross-links and suggest that stereochemistry plays a role in modulating biological responses to these cross-links (Kanuri, M., Nechev, L. V., Tamura, P. J., Harris, C. M., Harris, T. M., and Lloyd, R. S. (2002) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 15, 1572-1580).

Characterization of 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane-2'-deoxyguanosine cross-linking products formed at physiological and nonphysiological conditions

1,2,3,4-Diepoxybutane (DEB), an in vivo metabolite of 1,3-butadiene (BD), is a carcinogen and mutagen. The strong carcinogenicity/mutagenicity of DEB has been attributed to its high DNA reactivity and cross-linking ability. Recently, we have demonstrated that under in vitro physiological conditions (pH 7.4, 37 degrees C), the reaction of DEB with 2'-deoxyguanosine (dG) produced two diastereomeric pairs of the major nucleoside adducts resulting from alkylation at the N1- and N7-positions of dG, that is, 2'-deoxy-1-(2-hydroxy-2-oxiranylethyl)guanosine and 2'-deoxy-7-(2-hydroxy-2-oxiranylethyl)guanosine, respectively [Zhang, X.-Y., and Elfarra, A. A. (2005) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 18, 1316]. As each of these adducts contains an oxirane ring, the abilities of these adducts to form cross-linking products with dG under physiological conditions were investigated. Incubation of the N7 nucleoside adducts and their corresponding guanine product with dG led to formation of 7,7'-(2,3-dihydroxy-1,4-butanediyl)bis[2-amino-1,7-dihydro-6H-purin-6-one] (bis-N7G-BD), a known DEB cross-linking product. Incubation of the N1 nucleoside adducts with dG led to formation of a pair of diastereomers of 2'-deoxy-1-[4-(2-amino-1,7-dihydro-6H-purin-6-on-7-yl)-2,3-dihydroxybutyl]-guanosine (N7G-N1dG-BD), which are novel cross-linking products. Interestingly, the reaction of DEB with dG in glacial acetic acid at 60 degrees C yielded different cross-linking products, which were characterized as 2-amino-9-hydroxymethyl-4-{4-[2-amino-9- or 7-(4-acetyloxy-2,3-dihydroxybutyl)-1,7-dihydro-6H-purin-6-on-7- or 9-yl]-2,3-dihydroxybutyl}-8,9-dihydro-7H-[1,4]oxazepino[4,3,2-gh]purin-8-ol (PA2) and 9,9'-bis(4-acetyloxy-2,3-dihydroxybutyl)-7,7'-(2,3-dihydroxy-1,4-butanediyl)bis[2-amino-1,7-dihydro-6H-purin-6-one] (PA4). Collectively, these results increase our understanding of the chemical reactivity and cross-linking ability of DEB under both physiological and nonphysiological conditions.

The 5'-GNC site for DNA interstrand cross-linking is conserved for diepoxybutane stereoisomers

The bifunctional alkylating agent 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane forms interstrand DNA-DNA cross-links between the N7 positions of deoxyguanosine residues on opposite strands of the duplex. For racemic diepoxybutane, these cross-links predominate within 5'-GNC/3'CNG sequences, where N is any nucleotide. We used denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (dPAGE) to examine the role of stereochemistry in the cross-linking reaction, subjecting a restriction fragment to cross-linking with S,S-DEB, R,R-DEB, or meso-DEB. DNA cross-links generated by each isomer were isolated by dPAGE, and the sites of cross-linking were identified by sequencing gel analysis of DNA fragments generated by hot piperidine cleavage. We found that the 5'-GNC consensus sequence of racemic DEB is conserved, but the efficiencies of cross-linking vary, with S,S- > R,R- > meso-DEB. These results help explain the observed differences between the biological activities of DEB stereoisomers.

Interstrand and Intrastrand DNA−DNA Cross-Linking by 1,2,3,4-Diepoxybutane: Role of Stereochemistry

1,2,3,4-Diepoxybutane (DEB) is a bifunctional electrophile capable of forming DNA-DNA and DNA-protein cross-links. DNA alkylation by DEB produces N7-(2'-hydroxy-3',4'-epoxybut-1'-yl)-guanine monoadducts, which can then form 1,4-bis-(guan-7-yl)-2,3-butanediol (bis-N7G-BD) lesions. All three optical isomers of DEB are produced metabolically from 1,3-butadiene, but S,S-DEB is the most cytotoxic and genotoxic. In the present work, interstrand and intrastrand DNA-DNA cross-linking by individual DEB stereoisomers was investigated by PAGE, mass spectrometry, and stable isotope labeling. S,S-, R,R-, and meso-diepoxides were synthesized from l-dimethyl-2,3-O-isopropylidene-tartrate, d-dimethyl-2,3-O-isopropylidene-tartrate, and meso-erythritol, respectively. Total numbers of bis-N7G-BD lesions (intrastrand and interstrand) in calf thymus DNA treated separately with S,S-, R,R-, or meso-DEB (0.01-0.5 mM) were similar as determined by capillary HPLC-ESI(+)-MS/MS of DNA hydrolysates. However, denaturing PAGE has revealed that S,S-DEB produced the highest number of interchain cross-links in 5'-GGC-3'/3'-CCG-5' sequences. Intrastrand adduct formation by DEB was investigated by a novel methodology based on stable isotope labeling HPLC-ESI(+)-MS/MS. Meso DEB treatment of DNA duplexes containing 5'-[1,7, NH(2)-(15)N(3),2-(13)C-G]GC-3'/3'-CCG-5' and 5'-GGC-3'/3'-CC[(15)N(3),2-(13)C-G]-5' trinucleotides gave rise to comparable numbers of 1,2-intrastrand and 1,3-interstrand bis-N7G-BD cross-links, while S,S DEB produced few intrastrand lesions. R,R-DEB treated DNA contained mostly 1,3-interstrand bis-N7G-BD, along with smaller amounts of 1,2-interstrand and 1,2-intrastrand adducts. The effects of DEB stereochemistry on its ability to form DNA-DNA cross-links may be rationalized by the spatial relationships between the epoxy alcohol side chains in stereoisomeric N7-(2'-hydroxy-3',4'-epoxybut-1'-yl)-guanine adducts and their DNA environment. Different cross-linking specificities of DEB stereoisomers provide a likely structural basis for their distinct biological activities.

Butadiene-induced intrastrand DNA cross-links: a possible role in deletion mutagenesis

To initiate studies designed to identify the mutagenic spectrum associated with butadiene diepoxide-induced N(2)-N(2) guanine intrastrand cross-links, site specifically adducted oligodeoxynucleotides were synthesized in which the adducted bases were centrally located within the context of the human ras 12 codon. The two stereospecifically modified DNAs and the corresponding unmodified DNA were ligated into a single-stranded M13mp7L2 vector and transfected into Escherichia coli. Both stereoisomeric forms (R, R and S,S) of the DNA cross-links resulted in very severely decreased plaque-forming ability, along with an increased mutagenic frequency for both single base substitutions and deletions compared with unadducted DNAs, with the S,S stereoisomer being the most mutagenic. Consistent with decreased plaque formation, in vitro replication of DNA templates containing the cross-links by the three major E. coli polymerases revealed replication blockage by both stereoisomeric forms of the cross-links. The same DNAs that were used for replication studies were also assembled into duplex DNAs and tested as substrates for the initiation of nucleotide excision repair by the E. coli UvrABC complex. UvrABC incised linear substrates containing these intrastrand cross-links with low efficiency, suggesting that these lesions may be inefficiently repaired by the nucleotide excision repair system.

DNA modification by chemical carcinogens

The chemistry and molecular biology of DNA adducts is only one part of the carcinogenic process. Many other factors will determine whether a particular chemical will exert a carcinogenic effect. For example, the size of particles upon which a carcinogenic may be adsorbed will influence whether or not, and if so where, deposition within the lung will occur. The simultaneous exposure to several different agents may enhance or inhibit the metabolism of a chemical to its ultimate carcinogenic form (Rice et al., 1984; Smolarek and Baird, 1984). The ultimate carcinogenic metabolites may be influenced in their ability to react with DNA by a number of factors such as internal levels of detoxifying enzymes, the presence of other metabolic intermediates such as glutathione with which they could react either enzymatically or non-enzymatically, and the state of DNA which is probably most heavily influenced by whether or not the cell is undergoing replication or particular sequences being expressed. Replicating forks have been shown to be more extensively modified than other areas of DNA. Another critical factor which can influence the final outcome of the DNA damage is whether or not the modifications can be repaired. If this occurs with high fidelity and the cell has not previously undergone replication then the effect of the damage by the carcinogen is likely to be minimal. The major area in which progress is needed is an understanding of what this damage really does to the cell such that after an additional period of time, which may be as long as twenty or more years, these prior events are expressed and cell proliferation occurs. Clearly additional stimulatory factors, for example tumor promoting agents such as the phorbol esters or phenobarbital, are often needed. After such prolonged periods it seems likely that the DNA adducts would no longer be present. However, the way in which their earlier presence is remembered is not clear. Simple mutations do not explain all the characteristics of tumor progression and, when it occurs, regression. Even if a specific site mutation does occur then its expression must be under other types of control. Any explanation of the action of DNA modification at the molecular level also requires that account be taken of the diverse nature of the DNA adducts from simple modifications such as methylation to bulkier adducts such as benzo[a]pyrene, aflatoxin or aromatic amines.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

RNA-protein neighbourhoods of the ribosome obtained by crosslinking

It is possible to crosslink protein to nucleic acid with diepoxybutane which reacts mainly with the N-7 of guanine as well as the thiol and aminogroups in protein; the resulting crosslinked complexes are cleavable. When this reagent is applied to ribosomes, even under conditions that minimize the extent of reaction, at least half of the ribosomal proteins can be recovered crosslinked to one or other of the major ribosomal RNA species. In addition, one fourth of the proteins can be recovered crosslinked to the RNA of the heterologous ribosomal subunit. Some of the remaining proteins may also be crosslinkable to the RNA, but additional experiments are required to confirm this.