INCORPORATION OF 5-IODO-2'-DEOXYURIDINE INTO BACTERIOPHAGE T1 AS RELATED TO ULTRA-VIOLET SENSITIZATION OR PROTECTION

Cytosine Iminyl Radical (cytN•) Formation via Electron-Induced Debromination of 5-Bromocytosine: A DFT and Gaussian 4 Study

Halogen-substituted pyrimidines, such as 5-bromouracil and 5-iodouracil, have been used as radio therapeutic (RT) agents in cancer treatment. The radiosensitizing activity of 5-bromouracil is attributed to its reaction with electron which produce the highly reactive uracil-5-yl radical by dissociating the C5-Br bond. Using density functional methods and highly accurate Gaussian 4 (G4) theory, herein, we show that 5-bromocytosine (5-Brcyt) after reaction with electron, also, leads to the formation of cytosine-5-yl radical. However, our results show that this species can subsequently undergo a base-catalyzed tautomerization reaction to form the π-aminyl radical followed by a second tautomerization to the thermodynamically most stable σ-iminyl radical (cytN•). From the present theoretical calculations, we infer that the mechanism of the formation of cytN• by one-electron reduction of 5-Brcyt is straightforward and may take place in 5-Brcyt-labeled DNA in competition with the usual reactions expected for the cytosine-5-yl radical such as abstraction and water addition.

Mechanisms of Damage to DNA Labeled with Electrophilic Nucleobases Induced by Ionizing or UV Radiation

Hypoxia--a hallmark of solid tumors--makes hypoxic cells radioresistant. On the other hand, DNA, the main target of anticancer therapy, is not sensitive to the near UV photons and hydrated electrons, one of the major products of water radiolysis under hypoxic conditions. A possible way to overcome these obstacles to the efficient radio- and photodynamic therapy of cancer is to sensitize the cellular DNA to electrons and/or ultraviolet radiation. While incorporated into genomic DNA, modified nucleosides, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine in particular, sensitize cells to both near-ultraviolet photons and γ rays. It is believed that, in both sensitization modes, the reactive nucleobase radical is formed as a primary product which swiftly stabilizes, leading to serious DNA damage, like strand breaks or cross-links. However, despite the apparent similarity, such radio- and photosensitization of DNA seems to be ruled by fundamentally different mechanisms. In this review, we demonstrate that the most important factors deciding on radiodamage to the labeled DNA are (i) the electron affinity (EA) of modified nucleoside (mNZ), (ii) the local surroundings of the label that significantly influences the EA of mNZ, and (iii) the strength of the chemical bond holding together the substituent and a nucleobase. On the other hand, we show that the UV damage to sensitized DNA is governed by long-range photoinduced electron transfer, the efficiency of which is controlled by local DNA sequences. A critical review of the literature mechanisms concerning both types of damage to the labeled biopolymer is presented. Ultimately, the perspectives of studies on DNA sensitization in the context of cancer therapy are discussed.

Photoreaction at 5'-(G/C)AA(Br)UT-3' sequence in duplex DNA: efficient generation of uracil-5-yl radical by charge transfer

The photoreactivities of 5-halouracil-containing DNA have widely been used for analysis of protein-DNA interactions and have recently been used for probing charge-transfer processes along DNA. Despite such practical usefulness, the detailed mechanisms of the photochemistry of 5-halouracil-containing DNA are not well understood. We recently discovered that photoirradiation of BrU-substituted DNA efficiently produced 2'-deoxyribonolactone at 5'-(G/C)AABrUBrU-3' and 5'-(G/C)ABrUBrU-3' sequences in duplex DNA. Using synthetic oligonucleotides, we found that similar photoreactivities were maintained at the 5'-(G/C)AABrUT-3' sequence, providing ribonolactone as a major product with concomitant release of adenine base. In this paper, the photoreactivities of various oligonucleotides possessing the 5'-BrUT-3' sequence were examined to elucidate the essential factors of this photoreaction. HPLC product analysis indicated that the yield of 2'-deoxyribonolactone largely depends on the ionization potential of the purine derivatives located 5'-upstream of 5'-BrUT-3', as well as the electron-donating ability of their pairing cytosine derivatives. Oligonucleotides that possess G in the complementary strand provided the ribonolactone with almost the same efficiency. These results clearly suggest that the photoinduced charge transfer from the G-5' upstream of 5'-BrUT-3' sequence, in the same strand and the complementary strand, initiates the reaction. To examine the role of intervening A/T base pair(s) between the G/C and the 5'-BrUT-3' sequence, the photoreactivities of a series of oligonucleotides with different numbers of intervening A/T base pairs were examined. The results revealed that the hotspot sequence consists of the electron-donating G/C base pair, the 5'-BrUT-3' sequence as an acceptor, and an appropriate number of A/T base pairs as a bridge for the charge-transfer process.

Effect of ultraviolet light on DNA structure in 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine-substituted HSV-1 DNA

Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) was grown in the presence of 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine (IdUrd), and the virion-DNA was isolated by isopycnic centrifugation in CsCl. Irradiation of IdUrd-containing HSV DNA with either 302 nm or 254 nm ultraviolet (UV) light introduced strand breakage into the DNA in a dose-dependent manner when analyzed by alkaline sucrose density gradient sedimentation. Irradiation of unsubstituted HSV DNA under similar conditions produced little strand breakage. These observations are in agreement with the proposed mechanism for photochemical generation of strand breakage in 5-halo-2'-deoxyuridine-containing DNA. Irradiation of IdUrd-substituted virions followed by analysis of the isolated DNA indicated less strand breakage than irradiation of isolated IdUrd-substituted DNA under equivalent conditions. The dosage of irradiation required to introduce DNA strand breakage in IdUrd-substituted virions was equivalent to that employed to affect greater than 99% loss of infectious virus activity in both control and IdUrd-containing virions. It is suggested that the relative UV insensitivity of IdUrd-substituted HSV may be due to the microstructure environment of the substituted HSV DNA which may favor recombination of the photochemically formed halogen-uracil radical pairs.

Effect of incorporation of 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine into HSV-1 DNA on virion sensitivity to ultraviolet light

First generation progeny herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) virions grown in the presence of 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine (IdUrd) were irradiated with either 254 or 302 nm ultraviolet (u.v.) light. The kinetics of virus inactivation revealed decreased sensitivity of IdUrd-substituted virions to irradiation with 302 nm light under all conditions examined, and with 254 nm u.v. light when substituted and control virions were irradiated at equal particle concentrations. Comparison of virus survival after irradiation measured in Vero or Xeroderma Pigmentosum (complementation group A) cells indicated that cellular repair of ultraviolet-induced lesions was not a significant factor in the observed decrease in u.v. sensitivity. IdUrd substitution altered neither the formation of ultraviolet-induced thymidine photoproducts nor the ability of irradiated virions to express delayed early viral enzymes (thymidine kinase, DNA polymerase). It is suggested that nucleocapsid proteins or the highly ordered structure of IdUrd-substituted virions play a key role in u.v. desensitization, either by the formation of non-lethal photoproducts or by the prevention of the formation of DNA-uracilyl free radicals.

The lesions produced by ultraviolet light in DNA containing 5-bromouracil

The compound 5-bromouracil (BrU) may be incorporated into DNA in place of its analog thymine. This review is concerned with the photochemical lesions produced by the action of ultraviolet light on such BrU-DNA, and consequent biological effects of such lesions.