Reactivity of B and Z-DNA towards N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene

Genetic toxicity of 2-acetylaminofluorene, 2-aminofluorene and some of their metabolites and model metabolites

2-Acetylaminofluorene and 2-aminofluorene are among the most intensively studied of all chemical mutagens and carcinogens. Fundamental research findings concerning the metabolism of 2-acetylaminofluorene to electrophilic derivatives, the interaction of these derivatives with DNA, and the carcinogenic and mutagenic responses that are associated with the resulting DNA damage have formed the foundation upon which much of genetic toxicity testing is based. The parent compounds and their proximate and ultimate mutagenic and carcinogenic derivatives have been evaluated in a variety of prokaryotic and eukaryotic assays for mutagenesis and DNA damage. The reactive derivatives are active in virtually all systems, while 2-acetylaminofluorene and 2-aminofluorene are active in most systems that provide adequate metabolic activation. Knowledge of the structures of the DNA adducts formed by 2-acetylaminofluorene and 2-aminofluorene, the effects of the adducts on DNA conformation and synthesis, adduct distribution in tissues, cells and DNA, and adduct repair have been used to develop hypotheses to understand the genotoxic and carcinogenic effects of these compounds. Molecular analysis of mutations produced in cell-free, bacterial, in vitro mammalian, and intact animal systems have recently been used to extend these hypotheses.

Comparison of the reactivity of B-DNA and Z-DNA with two isosteric chemical carcinogens: 2-N,N-acetoxyacetylaminofluorene and 3-N,N-acetoxyacetylamino-4,6-dimethyldipyrido-[1,2-a:3',2' -d] imidazole

The reactivity of nucleic acids in various conformations and two isosteric chemical carcinogens 2-N,N-acetoxyacetylaminofluorene (N-AcO-AAF) and 3-N,N-acetoxyacetylamino-4,6-dimethyldipyrido [1,2-a:3',2'-d] imidazole (N-AcO-AGlu-P-3) have been studied. Both carcinogens bind covalently to poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) (B form) and to poly(dG-br5C).poly(dG-br5dC) (Z form). They also bind covalently to (dC-dG)16 and to (dG-dT)15 sequences inserted in plasmids when the inserts are in the B form but they do not bind to the inserts in the Z form. The reactivity of guanine residues at the B-Z junctions depends upon the superhelical density of the plasmids and upon the base sequences at the junction. The distribution of AGlu-P-3 modified guanines in a restriction fragment of pBR322 is not uniform and is different from that of AAF-modified guanines. The conclusion is that N-AcO-Glu-P-3 as N-AcO-AAF can probe at the nucleotide level the polymorphism of DNA. On the other hand, the non-reactivity of both chemical carcinogens and Z-DNA and the hyperreactivity of some junctions might have some importance in the understanding of chemical carcinogenesis.

Reactivity and binding of benzo(a)pyrene diol epoxide to poly(dG-dC).(dG-dC) and poly(dG-m5dC).(dG-m5dC) in the B and Z forms

The physical and covalent binding of the carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-oxide (BaPDE) to poly(dG-dC).(dG-dC) and poly(dG-m5dC).(dG-m5dC) in the B and Z forms were studied utilizing absorbance, fluorescence and linear dichroism techniques. In the case of poly(dG-dC).(dG-dC) the decrease in the covalent binding of BaPDE with increasing NaCl concentration (0.1-4 M) as the B form is transformed to the Z form is attributed to the effects of high ionic strengths on the reactivity and physical binding of BaPDE to the polynucleotides; these effects tend to obscure differences in reactivities with the B and Z forms of the nucleic acids. In the case of poly(dG-m5dC).(dG-m5dC) the B-to-Z transition is induced at low ionic strength (2 mM NaCl + 10 microM Co(NH3)6Cl3) and the covalent binding is found to be 2-3-times lower to the Z form than to the B form. Physical binding of BaPDE by intercalation, which precedes the covalent binding reaction, is significantly lower in the Z form than in the B form, thus accounting, in part, for the lower covalent binding. The linear dichroism characteristics of BaPDE covalently bound to the Z and B forms of poly(dG-m5dC).(dG-m5dC) are consistent with nonintercalative, probably external conformations of the aromatic pyrenyl residues.

Studies on the conformation and dynamics of the C8-substituted guanine adduct of the carcinogen acetylaminofluorene; model for a possible Z-DNA modified structure

The structure of an adduct between guanine and the carcinogen acetylaminofluorene has been examined in the solid state by X-ray crystallography, and in solution by NMR techniques. The observed conformations have been compared with predictions from energy calculations and their relevance to models of adducts with DNA has been examined.

Poly(8-bromo-2'-deoxyadenylic acid): the syn/anti relationship

The synthesis of a high-molecular-weight, putatively all-syn DNA analogue, poly(8-bromo-2'-deoxyadenylic acid), is described. The syn----anti transition was shown to be both salt and temperature dependent. Conditions were found which favored 'normal' Watson-Crick pairing and duplex formation with poly(dT).

2-Acetylaminofluorene-modified probes for the indirect hybridocytochemical detection of specific nucleic acid sequences

A new approach is presented for the indirect hybridocytochemical localization of specific nucleic acid sequences in microscopic preparations. The method is based on the application of probes modified with N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene. After hybridization, the 2-acetylaminofluorene-labelled probes are recognized by antibodies directed against modified guanosine and visualized immunocytochemically. This procedure has been optimized on two model objects: mouse satellite DNA in interphase nuclei and chromosomes, and kinetoplast DNA in Crithidia fasciculata. A first application that may be of clinical importance is given by the detection of human cytomegalovirus in infected human lung fibroblasts. Other potentials of this procedure are discussed. Its advantages are: (1) the simple, rapid and reproducible labelling procedure; (2) the high stability of both label and modified probes; (3) the feasibility of labelling both double-stranded (ds) and single-stranded (ss) probes (DNA as well as RNA); (4) the rapid and sensitive detection of hybrids.

Preferential reaction of the carcinogen N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene with satellite DNA

The carcinogens N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-acetoxy-AAF) and N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene (N-hydroxy-AF) were incubated with calf thymus DNA to determine if reaction occurred preferentially with discrete regions within the DNA. Derivative melting profiles indicated that both compounds decreased satellite transitions and that N-acetoxy-AAF depressed the melting of higher temperature regions. These data suggest that N-acetoxy-AAF reacted to a greater extent with G + C-rich regions and, because the resulting adduct disrupted the helix, the cooperativity of melting decreased. Reaction of N-acetoxy-AAF with purified satellite III DNA confirmed the preferential interaction of this carcinogen with G + C-rich regions as compared to main component DNA. The derivative melting profile of lambda DNA in the presence of actinomycin D further demonstrated that this type of analysis can detect preferential interactions with specific DNA sequences.

Comparative mutagenesis by aminofluorene derivatives. A possible effect of DNA configuration

The mutagenicity of N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-acetoxy- 2AAF ) for Salmonella typhimuricum TA98 is greatly reduced when compared to that of N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene. This decrease in mutagenic response is accompanied by the formation of a deoxyguanosine-2-acetylaminofluorene adduct. The deoxyguanosine-2-aminofluorene adduct, characteristic of cells exposed to N - hydroxy-2-aminofluorene, was not detected in N-acetoxy- 2AAF -treated cells. Enzymic deacetylation of N - acetoxy- 2AAF results in restoration of potent mutagenicity. N-Acetoxy-2-acetylamino-7- iodofluorene is also more mutagenic than N-acetoxy- 2AAF . Because the acetylated and unacetylated guanine adducts induce greatly different configurational changes, the results may be indicative that the introduction of the syn configuration and a possible shift to the Z-conformation at the mutational hot spot of Salmonella typhimurium TA98 [(dG-dC)8] results in reduced mutagenic potency.

Electrostatics of Polymorphic DNA

The molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) and the molecular electrostatic field (MEF) are associated with significantly different patterns of distribution in the nucleic acids and their constituents. In particular, a) while the values of the minimal potentials at the reactive sites of the bases or at the phosphates increase manyfold when going from the subunits to the double helix, the values of the field undergo only very small changes under the same circumstances and b) while the deepest potentials are located in the grooves of the double helix, the greatest fields are concentrated on the phosphates of the backbone. They are also influenced differently by such environmental factors as counterion screening: while the absolute values of the potentials are profoundly reduced, the fields are increased with respect to those of the unscreened acids. MEP and MEF also govern the electrostatics of interaction of DNA with different types of species. The MEP being of particular significance in this respect for interaction with cations and the MEF for the association with neutral dipolar molecules. A number of examples are given to illustrate the significance of this situation for different conformers of DNA.

Preferential binding of the chemical carcinogen N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene to B-DNA as compared to Z-DNA

The reaction between the chemical carcinogen N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene and poly (dG-dC) . poly (dG-dC) (B-form), poly (dG-m5dC) . poly (dG-m5dC) (B-or Z-form), poly(dG-br5dC) . poly (dG-br5dC) (Z-form) has been studied. The carcinogen binds covalently to B-DNA but does not bind significantly to Z-DNA. These results are discussed as related to the accessibility, the electrostatic potential and the dynamic structure of DNA. The accessibility and the electrostatic potential of DNA do not explain the difference in reactivity of the carcinogen since a related carcinogen N-acetoxy-N-acetyl-2-aminofluorene binds equally well to both B and Z-DNA. On the other hand, poly (dG-dC) . poly(dG-dC) and poly (dG-br5dC) . poly(dG-br5dC), in presence of ethidium bromide binds equally well to N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene. It is suggested that the very low binding of this carcinogen to Z-DNA as compared to B-DNA is due to differences in the dynamic structures of these two forms of DNA.

Chain flexibility and hydrodynamics of the B and Z forms of poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC)

The solution properties of the B and Z forms of poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) have been measured by static and dynamic laser light scattering. The radius of gyration, persistence length, translational and segmental diffusion coefficients, and the Rouse-Zimm parameters have been evaluated. The persistence length of the Z form determined at 3 M NaCl is about 200 nm compared to 84 and 61 nm respectively for the B forms of poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC), and calf thymus DNA, both determined at 0.1 M NaCl. The data on persistence length, diffusion coefficients and the Rouse-Zimm parameters indicate a large increase in the chain stiffness of Z DNA compared to the B form. These results are opposite to the ionic strength effects on random sequence native DNAs, for which the flexibility increases with ionic strength and levels off at about 1 M NaCl.

Early alterations in rat liver chromatin structure after a single dose of diethylnitrosamine

In the chromatin of 24-h regenerating rat livers, derivative melting profiles are characterized by a high proportion of transitions above 90 degrees C. After the injection of diethylnitrosamine there is a rapid shift to lower melting temperatures. This is due to a rearrangement of the chromatin to higher amounts of nucleosomal components but possibly also a consequence of chemical modifications and conformational alterations of the DNA. In the nonregenerating liver essentially the same observations can be made, although reactions proceed significantly slower. These results are in good agreement with the observation that carcinogens are more active in tissues stimulated to rapid proliferation as compared to resting tissues.