Substrate conformation in 5'-AMP-utilizing enzymes: 8,5'-cycloadenosine 5'-monophosphate

Conformational Analysis of Substituent Effects on the Sugar Puckering Mode and the anti-HIV Activity of 2′,3′-Dideoxypyrimidine Nucleosides

A comparison between the conformational parameters of eleven active and inactive anti-HIV 2′,3′-dideoxypyrimidine nucleosides and a series of 73 uridine and thymidine structures, revealed that our compounds, all having N-glycosidic bond torsion angles χ in the anti range, have pseudorotation phase angles P well distributed over both N (C3′- endo) and S [C2′- endo and C3′- exo) type sugar conformations and have both + sc and ap C4′-C5′ conformations. This means that solid state conformations characterized by P, χ and γ do not provide decisive information for predicting possible anti-HIV activity. We also found that any rationalization of the activity or inactivity of nucleosides in terms of the gauche effect of electronegative substituents on the furanose ring conformation, could not be demonstrated by using the semiempirical quantum chemical AM 1 method. Calculations of C3′-X3′ bond polarities indicate that anti-HIV activity in C3′-substituted nucleoside analogues is consistent with the presence of a positive C3′-X3′ bond polarity. Exploration of the conformational space of χ vs. γ for C3′- endo, C2′- endo and C3′- exo sugar puckering modes using the same AM1 method, reveals that although the C3′- endo [ P = 10°) region is about 2 kcal mol−1 lower than the C2′- endo region ( P = 170°), the C2′ - endo sugar puckering mode is the most accessible one due to the conformational flexibility about the minima. Our results also suggest that as P increases from 10°, through 170°, to 210°, the preferred range for -y dramatically shifts from almost exclusively around 50° (+ sc) at P = 10° to almost exclusively non + sc at P = 210°.

The Crystal and Molecular Structure of 3′-Fluoro-3′-Deoxythymidine, a Potent Anti-HIV-1 Nucleoside

The crystal structure of 3′-fluoro-3′-deoxythymidine (FDT), a nucleoside analogue with high potency against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in cell culture, has been determined as part of studies aimed at determining correlations between the molecular conformations of anti-HIV nucleosides and their potency. FDT crystallizes with four molecules in the asymmetric unit. The largest differences between the four molecules are in the conformations about the glycosidic bond, but they are otherwise surprisingly similar in conformation. All four molecules have C3′- exo/C2′- endo dideoxyribose ring conformations, very similar to that of one of the two molecules of 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) in its crystal structure. Revised

A Stereochemical Rationale for the Activity of Anti-HIV Nucleosides

Crystallographic studies have shown that, in the solid state, nucleosides active against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) generally exhibit moderate to extreme S-type furanose conformations (pseudorotational phase angle up to 215°). Following this lead, it is shown that using principles of conformational analysis, one can rationalize the activity or inactivity of other nucleoside analogues (including many not yet studied by X-ray methods) in terms of the effects of substituents on the furanose ring conformation. An analysis of the various 1,4 interactions of the O4′ lone pairs, O4′ itself, and the substituents on C2′ and C3′ shows that S-type conformations are stabilized (relative to N-type) in all the active ribose analogues, whereas this effect is absent in most inactive compounds. The gauche effect is a major determinant of activity, and the O4′ lone pairs, which have been neglected in many previous force field studies, may also be involved in stabilizing extreme S-type conformations. In such conformations (particularly for P > 180°) the + sc orientation of O5′ is destabilized, increasing access to the ap orientation, which may be more favourable for activity.

Synthesis, Solution Conformation and Anti-HIV Activity of Novel 3-Substituted-2′,3′-Dideoxy-5-Hydroxymethyl-Uridines and Their 4,5-Substituted Analogues

To decrease the toxicity of potent anti-HIV nucleosides 3-azido-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine (AZT) and 2,3′-dideoxy-3′-fluorothymidine (3-FddThd, FLT), their new analogues, 3-azido-2′,3′-dideoxy-5-hydroxymethyluridine (3-Az5HmddUrd) and 2,3′-dideoxy-3′-fluoro-5-hydroxymethyluridine (3′-F5HmddUrd), were synthesized. The reaction of 3′-azido-2′,3′-dideoxyuridine (3′-AzddUrd) and 2,3′-dideoxy-3′-fluorouridine (3′-FddUrd) with formaldehyde, under strongly alkaline conditions and at elevated temperature, proceeded after 4 days to completion to afford the corresponding 5-hydroxymethyl derivatives 3′-Az5HmddUrd and 3′-F5HmddUrd in good yield. These compounds were also prepared by oxidation of AZT and FLT with the use of K2S2O8. 1H NMR analyses were subjected to the series of 3′,4 and 5-substituted pyrimidine 2′-deoxy- and 2′,3′-dideoxynucleosides involving 3′-Az5HmddUrd and 3′-F5HmddUrd. Analysis of the sugar furanose ring puckering demonstrated that all 3′-fluorine derivatives exhibited strong domination of the S conformation (∼100%) while 3-substitution by electron-donating groups, such as NH2, increased population of the N conformation. Experimentally observed substituent effect on the furanose ring puckering equilibrium was reconstructed in the 100 ps molecular dynamic trajectories obtained for AZT, FLT, dThd, 2′,3′-ddThd and 3′-amino-2′,3′-ddThd. It may be concluded that anti-HIV activity is linked to a direct interaction of the 3′-sub-stituent with reverse transcriptase (RT) binding site. Anti-HIV activities of 3′-Az5HmddUrd and 3′-F5HmddUrd are lower than activity of AZT and FLT; however, 3′-Az5HmddUrd and 3′-F5HmddUrd are less toxic than AZT and FLT.

Mechanisms of free radical-induced damage to DNA

Endogenous and exogenous sources cause free radical-induced DNA damage in living organisms by a variety of mechanisms. The highly reactive hydroxyl radical reacts with the heterocyclic DNA bases and the sugar moiety near or at diffusion-controlled rates. Hydrated electron and H atom also add to the heterocyclic bases. These reactions lead to adduct radicals, further reactions of which yield numerous products. These include DNA base and sugar products, single- and double-strand breaks, 8,5'-cyclopurine-2'-deoxynucleosides, tandem lesions, clustered sites and DNA-protein cross-links. Reaction conditions and the presence or absence of oxygen profoundly affect the types and yields of the products. There is mounting evidence for an important role of free radical-induced DNA damage in the etiology of numerous diseases including cancer. Further understanding of mechanisms of free radical-induced DNA damage, and cellular repair and biological consequences of DNA damage products will be of outmost importance for disease prevention and treatment.

8,5'-Cyclopurine-2'-deoxynucleosides in DNA: mechanisms of formation, measurement, repair and biological effects

8,5'-Cyclo-2'-deoxyadenosine (cdA) and 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyguanosine (cdG) are among the major lesions formed in DNA by hydroxyl radical attack on 2'-deoxyadenosine and 2'-deoxyguanosine, respectively, followed by intramolecular cyclization between C5' and C8. Mechanisms of formation of these unique tandem lesions were elucidated. The 8,5'-cyclization causes an unusual puckering of the sugar moiety giving rise to significant distortion in the DNA double helix. Methodologies were developed for the measurement of these lesions in DNA by mass spectrometry coupled either with gas chromatography or high performance liquid chromatography. Both techniques allowed identification and quantification of both R- and S-diastereomers of cdA and cdG in DNA in vitro and in vivo. Because of the 8,5'-covalent bond between the sugar and base moieties in the same nucleoside, cdA and cdG are repaired by nucleotide excision repair rather than by base excision repair. Thus, these lesions may play a role in diseases with defective nucleotide excision repair. Their biological effects include blocking DNA polymerases, inhibition of gene expression, transcriptional mutagenesis among others. Accumulation of cdA and cdG was observed in tissues in vivo in connection to disease and environmental conditions, suggesting an important role for these lesions in disease processes including carcinogenesis and neuronal death.

Identification and quantification of 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxy-adenosine in DNA by liquid chromatography/ mass spectrometry

Recent studies suggested that 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyadenosine may play a role in diseases with defective nucleotide-excision repair. This compound is one of the major lesions, which is formed in DNA by hydroxyl radical attack on the sugar moiety of 2'-deoxyadenosine. It is likely to be repaired by nucleotide-excision repair rather than by base-excision repair because of a covalent bond between the sugar and base moieties. We studied the measurement of 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyadenosine in DNA by liquid chromatography/isotope-dilution mass spectrometry. A methodology was developed for the analysis of 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyadenosine by liquid chromatography in DNA hydrolyzed to nucleosides by a combination of four enzymes, i.e., DNase I, phosphodiesterases I and II, and alkaline phosphatase. Detection by mass spectrometry was performed using atmospheric pressure ionization-electrospray process in the positive ionization mode. Results showed that liquid chromatography/isotope-dilution mass spectrometry is well suited for identification and quantification of 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyadenosine in DNA. Both (5'R)- and (5'S)-diastereomers of 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyadenosine were detected. The level of sensitivity of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry with selected-ion monitoring amounted to 2 fmol of this compound on the column. The yield of 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyadenosine was measured in DNA in aqueous solution exposed to ionizing radiation at doses from 2.5 to 80 Gray. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was also used to measure this compound in DNA. Both techniques yielded similar results. The yield of 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyadenosine was comparable to the yields of some of the other major modified bases in DNA, which were measured using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The measurement of 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyadenosine by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry may contribute to the understanding of its biological properties and its role in diseases with defective nucleotide-excision repair.

Structural requirements for the binding of AMP to the allosteric site of NAD-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase from bakers' yeast

The specificity of yeast NAD-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase for the structures of the allosteric effector 5'-AMP was examined with analogues modified in the purine ring, pentosyl group, and 5'-phosphate group. An unsubstituted 6-amino group was essential for activation as was the phosphoryl group at the 5'-position. Activity was retained when an oxygen function of the 5'-phosphoryl was replaced by sulfur (Murry & Atkinson, 1968) or by nitrogen (phosphoramidates). 2-NH2-AMP, 2-azido-AMP, and 8-NH2-AMP were active; 8-azido-AMP and 8-Br-AMP were inactive. The configuration or nature of substituents about carbons 2' and 3' of the pentosyl portion of AMP was not critical for allosteric activation since AMP analogues containing, e.g., 2',3'-dideoxyribose or the bulky 2',3'-O-(2,4,6-trinitrocyclo-hexadienylidene) substituent (TNP-AMP) were active. TNP-AMP was bound to the enzyme with fluorescence enhancement and had an S0.5 for activation similar to the S0.5 for AMP. Positive effector activity was decreased when the pentosyl moiety of 5'-AMP was replaced by the six-membered nitrogen-containing morpholine group, indicating that the pentosyl group may be critical as a spacer for the proper geometry of binding to enzyme at the 6-amino and 5'-phosphoryl groups of 5'-AMP. A comparison of molecular models of 5'-AMP with 8,5'-cycloAMP suggests that the species of 5'-AMP required for binding to the enzyme contains the purine and ribose moieties in an anti conformation and positioning of the 5'-phosphate trans with respect to carbon 4'.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Free-radical-induced formation of an 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyguanosine moiety in deoxyribonucleic acid

Isolation and identification of a novel .OH-induced product, namely an 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyguanosine moiety, in DNA and 2'-deoxyguanosine are described. .OH radicals were generated in dilute aqueous solutions by gamma-irradiation. Analyses of 2'-deoxyguanosine and enzymic hydrolysates of DNA by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (g.c.-m.s.) after trimethylsilylation showed the presence of 8,5-cyclo-2'-deoxyguanosine on the basis of its fragment ions. This product was isolated by h.p.l.c. Its u.v. and n.m.r. spectra taken were in agreement with the structure suggested by its mass spectrum. Exact masses of the typical ions from the mass spectrum of the trimethylsilyl derivative of this product were measured by high-resolution m.s. The values found were in excellent agreement with the theoretical mass derived from the suggested fragmentation patterns. Both (5'R)- and (5'S)-epimers of 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyguanosine were observed. These two diastereomers were separated from each other by g.c. as well as by h.p.l.c. The assignment of the epimers was accomplished on the basis of the n.m.r. data. The formation of 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyguanosine was suppressed by the presence of O2 in the solutions. The use of g.c.-m.s. with the selected-ion monitoring technique facilitated the detection of 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyguanosine in DNA at radiation doses as low as 1 Gy. Its mechanism of formation probably involves hydrogen atom abstraction by .OH radicals from the C-5' of the 2'-deoxyguanosine moiety followed by intramolecular cyclization with the formation of a covalent bond between the C-5' and C-8 and subsequent oxidation of the resulting N-7-centred radical.

Stereoselective intramolecular cyclization in irradiated nucleic acids: R- and S-8,5'-cycloadenosine in polyadenylic acid

The yields of R- and S-8,5'-cycloadenosines have been measured in poly A irradiated with gamma rays in the absence of oxygen. High performance liquid chromatographic analysis of the nucleoside analogues obtained by hydrolysis of the irradiated poly A shows that the R isomer predominates to the extent of 2.5-fold at doses of ionizing radiation in the range of 0-400 Gy.

Radiation-induced decomposition of the purine bases within DNA and related model compounds

This survey focuses on recent developments in the radiation chemistry of purine bases in nucleic acids and related model compounds. Both direct and indirect effects of ionizing radiation are investigated with special emphasis on the structural characterization of the final decomposition products of nucleic acid components. Available assays for monitoring radiation-induced base lesions are critically reviewed.

5'-deoxy-5'-thioanalogs of adenosine and inosine 5'-monophosphate: studies with 5'-nucleotidase and alkaline phosphatase

The interaction of 5'-deoxy-5'-thioadenosine 5'-monophosphate (A(S)MP) and 5'-deoxy-5'-thioinosine 5'-monophosphate (I(S)MP) with snake venom, 5'nucleotidase, and calf intestinal mucosa alkaline phosphatase has been characterized. The substrates, A(S)MP and I(S)MP, are analogs of adenosine 5'-monophosphate and inosine 5'-monophosphate in which sulfur replaces oxygen as the bridge between the 5'-carbon of the ribose and the phosphorous. The P-S bond of both A(S)MP and I(S)MP was hydrolyzed by alkaline phosphatase producing the corresponding thionucleoside as a reaction product. The Km for A(S)MP was 270 microM and the V for alkaline phosphatase was 110 nmol/min/mg (8% of the V for AMP), whereas the corresponding values for I(S)MP were 300 microM and 530 nmol/min/mg protein, respectively. In contrast, 5'-nucleotidase did not catalyze hydrolysis of either A(S)MP or I(S)MP. A(S)MP and I(S)MP were competitive inhibitors of the 5'-nucleotidase hydrolysis of AMP and IMP, respectively, with Ki values of 975 and 13 microM. Decreasing the pH of the reaction from 8.1 to 7.1 lowered the Ki for I(S)MP by 100-fold, to a value of 0.15 microM.

Comparison of solid state and solution conformations of R and S epimers of 8,5'-cycloadenosine and their relevance to some enzymatic reactions

The C(5')-R epimer of 8,5'-cycloadenosine crystallizes in the monoclonic space group P2(1) (Z = 2) with unit cell dimensions a = 5.755 (1), b = 16.895 (1), and c = 5.511 (1) A and beta = 104.16 (1) degree. X-ray intensity data were measured on a diffractometer, and the crystal structure was determined by direct methods. Least-squares refinement converged at R = 0.037 for 1008 reflections. The conformation about the glycosyl bond is anti, as imposed by the 8,5' cyclization, with XCN = 29.8 degrees. The ribose ring adopts the unusual C(1')endo-O(4')exp (o1T) conformation with pseudo-rotation parameters P = 289.0 degrees and tau m = 490 degrees. The six-membered ring formed by the 8,5' linkage is approximately a half-chair with C(4') and O(4'), respectively, above and below a plane defined by the other four atoms. These results are compared with those previously reported for the corresponding S epimer [Haromy, T. P., Raleigh, J., & Sundaralingam, M. (1980) Biochemistry 19, 1718-1722]. The conformations of the sugar rings and the exocyclic groups of both epimers in the solid state are compared to the conformations in solution, as determined by analysis of the systems of proton-proton vicinal coupling constants from the 1H NMR spectra. The foregoing findings are employed to examine the role of the conformational parameters of adenosine and 5'-AMP in reactions catalyzed by the appropriate enzymes.

NMR studies in the syn-anti dynamic equilibrium in purine nucleosides and nucleotides

The syn in equilibrium anti equilibrium conformation about the glycosidic bond of purine nucleosides and 5'-nucleotides in different solvent systems has been investigated by means of 1H NMR spectroscopy. Quantitative values for the conformer populations were improved, relative to previous results, by a detailed study of, and a resultant derived correction for, the influence of the sugar exocyclic group conformation on the chemical shifts of the sugar ring protons. This was achieved with the aid of nucleosides and nucleotides fixed in the conformations gauche-trans [derivatives of 8,5'-(R)-cyclo] and trans-gauche [derivatives of 8,5'-(S)-cyclo]. The results of 13C NMR confirmed those obtained by 1H NMR. The measured values of the vicinal coupling constants between H-1' and the C-8 and C-4 carbons were employed to evaluate approximately the glycosidic angles chi of the nucleosides in the conformations syn and anti. A critical examination is made of the applicability of relaxation methods, involving analysis of spin-lattice relaxation time of protons (T1) and the Overhauser effect, to determine the conformation of the base about the glycosidic bond; interpretations are provided for the lack of agreement between these methods and those based on chemical shifts in the present study. The foregoing resuls are also applied to an examination of the effect of the conformation of the base about the glycosidic bond on the enzymatic reactions catalyzed by 5'-nucleotidase and adenosine deaminase.