Aberrant repair initiated by the adenine-DNA glycosylase does not play a role in UV-induced mutagenesis in Escherichia coli

BACKGROUND

DNA repair is essential to counteract damage to DNA induced by endo- and exogenous factors, to maintain genome stability. However, challenges to the faithful discrimination between damaged and non-damaged DNA strands do exist, such as mismatched pairs between two regular bases resulting from spontaneous deamination of 5-methylcytosine or DNA polymerase errors during replication. To counteract these mutagenic threats to genome stability, cells evolved the mismatch-specific DNA glycosylases that can recognize and remove regular DNA bases in the mismatched DNA duplexes. The Escherichia coli adenine-DNA glycosylase (MutY/MicA) protects cells against oxidative stress-induced mutagenesis by removing adenine which is mispaired with 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8oxoG) in the base excision repair pathway. However, MutY does not discriminate between template and newly synthesized DNA strands. Therefore the ability to remove A from 8oxoG•A mispair, which is generated via misincorporation of an 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine-5'-triphosphate precursor during DNA replication and in which A is the template base, can induce A•T→C•G transversions. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that human MUTYH, homologous to the bacterial MutY, might be involved in the aberrant processing of ultraviolet (UV) induced DNA damage.

METHODS

Here, we investigated the role of MutY in UV-induced mutagenesis in E. coli. MutY was probed on DNA duplexes containing cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD) and pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproduct (6-4PP). UV irradiation of E. coli induces Save Our Souls (SOS) response characterized by increased production of DNA repair enzymes and mutagenesis. To study the role of MutY in vivo, the mutation frequencies to rifampicin-resistant (RifR) after UV irradiation of wild type and mutant E. coli strains were measured.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that MutY does not excise Adenine when it is paired with CPD and 6-4PP adducts in duplex DNA. At the same time, MutY excises Adenine in A•G and A•8oxoG mispairs. Interestingly, E. coli mutY strains, which have elevated spontaneous mutation rate, exhibited low mutational induction after UV exposure as compared to MutY-proficient strains. However, sequence analysis of RifR mutants revealed that the frequencies of C→T transitions dramatically increased after UV irradiation in both MutY-proficient and -deficient E. coli strains.

DISCUSSION

These findings indicate that the bacterial MutY is not involved in the aberrant DNA repair of UV-induced DNA damage.

The dependence of the shapes of fluorescence induction curves in chloroplasts on the duration of illumination pulses

The shapes of fluorescence induction curves in spinach chloroplasts, measured using double-flash pump-probe techniques, are shown to depend on the duration of the actinic flashes. For flash durations tau(0) </= 2 mus, the variable fluorescence F(nu) grows exponentially (or nearly so) with increasing fluence J of the actinic pulses and the fluorescence induction ratio R = F(max)/F(0) is </=2.6. When tau(o) >/= 50 mus, the shapes of the F(nu) vs. J curves are sigmoidal, and R > 3.2. Overall, the experimentally observed trends suggest that, as the duration tau(0) of the actinic pulses is increased, the degree of sigmoidicity, the deduced values of the interunit excitation transfer parameter p, and the fluorescence induction ratios R, also tend to increase. These results can be accounted for in terms of a simple double-photon hit model in which a dark lag time tau(1) = 0.4-10 mus between the two hits is necessary for the observance of sigmoidal fluorescence induction curves and relatively high R ratios. It is shown that, in principle, such a model can account for the exponential and sigmoidal shapes of the fluorescence induction curves either within the context of a lake model of the photosynthetic antenna bed (free transfer of excitation between photosynthetic units) or the isolated (puddle) model of photosystem II reaction centers. However, from the known values of the R ratio measured with actinic pulses of different durations, or under continuous illumination, the lake model offers a better description of the experimental phenomena than the puddle model.

Cyclohexene ring and Fjord region twist inversion in stereoisomeric DNA adducts of enantiomeric benzo[c]phenanthrene diol epoxides

The sterically hindered, nonplanar fjord region polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been of great interest because of the exceptionally high mutagenic and tumorigenic activity of certain of their metabolically activated diol epoxides. Benzo[c]phenanthrene (B[c]Ph), a representative fjord region PAH, is metabolically activated to a pair of enantiomers, 1S,2R,3R,4S-3,4-dihydroxy-1,2-epoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[c]phenanthrene, (+)-anti-B[c]PhDE, and the corresponding 1R,2S,3S,4R enantiomer, (-)-anti-B[c]PhDE. Both of these can bind covalently to the amino group of purines in DNA via trans addition. In the present work we carry out an extensive computational investigation of the 1R(+) and 1S(-)-trans-anti-B[c]Ph adducts to the base guanine, with the goal of delineating the conformational possibilities for the fjord region and the adjacent cyclohexene-type benzylic ring and their relevance to DNA duplexes. We created 10 369 starting structures for each adduct and minimized the energy using AMBER 5.0. A limited set of conformational families is computed, in which the R isomer structures are near mirror images of the S isomer. The benzylic rings are essentially all half-chair-type. Cyclohexene-type ring inversion as well as fjord region twist inversion are possible for each isomer and are correlated. DNA duplexes modified by fjord region adducts select conformers from the allowed families that optimize stacking interactions, which contributes to the stability of the carcinogen-intercalated DNA duplex structures [Cosman et al. (1993) Biochemistry 32, 12488-12497; Cosman et al. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 1295-1307; Suri et al. (1999) J. Mol. Biol. 292, 289-307; Lin et al. (2001) J. Mol. Biol. 306, 1059-1080]. In turn, this stability could contribute to the resistance to repair by the human nucleotide excision system observed in fjord region adducts [Buterin et al. (2000) Cancer Res. 60, 1849-1856].

Base sequence effects in bending induced by bulky carcinogen-DNA adducts: experimental and computational analysis

The covalent binding of bulky mutagenic or carcinogenic compounds to DNA can lead to bending, which could significantly alter the interactions of DNA with critical replication and transcription proteins. The impact of adducts derived from the highly reactive bay region enantiomeric (+)- and (-)-anti-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide derivatives of benzo[a]pyrene (BPDE) are of interest because the (+)-7R,8S,9S,10R-anti-BPDE enantiomer is highly tumorigenic in rodents, while the (-)-7S,8R,9R,10S-anti-BPDE enantiomer is not. Both (+)- and (-)-anti-BPDE bind covalently with DNA predominantly by trans addition at the exocyclic amino group of guanine to yield 10S (+)- and 10R (-)-trans-anti-[BP]-N(2)-dG adducts. We have synthesized a number of different oligonucleotides with single (+)- and (-)-trans-anti-[BP]-N(2)-dG adducts (G) in the base sequence context XG*Y, where X and Y are different DNA bases. The G* residues were positioned at or close to the center of 11 base pair ( approximately 1 helical turn) or 16 base pair ( approximately 1.5 turns) duplexes. All bases, except for X and Y and their partners, were identical. These sequences were self-ligated with T4 ligase to form multimers that yield a ladder of bands upon electrophoresis in native polyacrylamide gels. The extent of bending in each oligonucleotide was assessed by monitoring the decrease in gel mobilities of these linear, self-ligated oligomers, relative to unmodified oligonucleotides of the same base sequence. The extent of global bending was then estimated using a sequence-specific three-dimensional model from which the values of the base-pair step parameter roll adjacent to the lesion site could be extracted. We find that (+)-trans-anti-[BP]-N(2)-dG adducts are considerably more bent than the (-) isomers regardless of sequence and that A-T base pairs flanking the [BP]-N(2)-dG lesion site allow for local flexibility consistent with adduct conformational heterogeneity. Interestingly, the fit of computed versus observed gel mobilities using classical reptation treatments requires enhancement of unmodified DNA flexibility in gels, compared to aqueous salt solution. The differences in bending between the two stereoisomeric adduct duplexes and the observed base sequence context effects may play a significant role in the differential processing of these lesions by cellular replication, transcription, and repair enzymes.

Stereochemical, structural, and thermodynamic origins of stability differences between stereoisomeric benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide deoxyadenosine adducts in a DNA mutational hot spot sequence

Benzo[a]pyrene (BP), a prototype polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), can be metabolically activated to the enantiomeric benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxides (BPDEs), (+)-(7R,8S,9S,10R)-7,8-dihydroxy-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene and the (-)-(7S,8R,9R,10S) enantiomer. These can react with adenine residues in DNA, to produce the stereoisomeric 10S (+)- and 10R (-)-trans-anti-[BP]-N(6)-dA adducts. High-resolution NMR solution studies indicate that in DNA duplexes the 10R (-) adduct is intercalated on the 5'-side of the modified adenine, while the 10S (+) adduct is disordered, exhibits multiple adduct conformations, and is positioned on the 3'-side of the modified adenine. Duplexes containing the 10S (+) adduct positioned at A within codon 61 of the human N-ras sequence CAA are thermodynamically less stable and more easily excised by human DNA repair enzymes than those containing the 10R (-) adduct. However, the molecular origins of these differences are not understood and represent a fascinating opportunity for elucidating structure-function relationships. We have carried out a computational investigation to uncover the structural and thermodynamic origins of these effects in the 11-mer duplex sequence d(CGGACAAGAAG).d(CTTCTTGTCCG) by performing a 2-ns molecular dynamics simulation using NMR solution structures as the basis for the starting models. Then, we applied the MM-PBSA (molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area) method to compute free energy differences between the stereoisomeric adducts. The 10R (-) isomer is more stable by approximately 13 kcal/mol, of which approximately 10 kcal/mol is enthalpic, which agrees quite well with their observed differences in thermodynamic stability. The lower stability of the 10S (+) adduct is due to diminished stacking by the BP moiety in the intercalation pocket, more helix unwinding, and a diminished quality of Watson-Crick base pairing. The latter stems from conformational heterogeneity involving a syn-anti equilibrium of the glycosidic bond in the modified adenine residue. The lower stability and conformational heterogeneity of the 10S (+) adduct may play a role in its enhanced susceptibility to nucleotide excision repair.

The carbonate radical is a site-selective oxidizing agent of guanine in double-stranded oligonucleotides

The carbonate radical anion (CO(3)) is believed to be an important intermediate oxidant derived from the oxidation of bicarbonate anions and nitrosoperoxocarboxylate anions (formed in the reaction of CO(2) with ONOO(-)) in cellular environments. Employing nanosecond laser flash photolysis methods, we show that the CO(3) anion can selectively oxidize guanines in the self-complementary oligonucleotide duplex d(AACGCGAATTCGCGTT) dissolved in air-equilibrated aqueous buffer solution (pH 7.5). In these time-resolved transient absorbance experiments, the CO(3) radicals are generated by one-electron oxidation of the bicarbonate anions (HCO(3)(-)) with sulfate radical anions (SO(4)) that, in turn, are derived from the photodissociation of persulfate anions (S(2)O(8)(2-)) initiated by 308-nm XeCl excimer laser pulse excitation. The kinetics of the CO(3) anion and neutral guanine radicals, G(-H)( small middle dot), arising from the rapid deprotonation of the guanine radical cation, are monitored via their transient absorption spectra (characteristic maxima at 600 and 315 nm, respectively) on time scales of microseconds to seconds. The bimolecular rate constant of oxidation of guanine in this oligonucleotide duplex by CO(3) is (1.9 +/- 0.2) x 10(7) m(-1) s(-1). The decay of the CO(3) anions and the formation of G(-H)( small middle dot) radicals are correlated with one another on the millisecond time scale, whereas the neutral guanine radicals decay on time scales of seconds. Alkali-labile guanine lesions are produced and are revealed by treatment of the irradiated oligonucleotides in hot piperidine solution. The DNA fragments thus formed are identified by a standard polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis assay, showing that strand cleavage occurs at the guanine sites only. The biological implications of these oxidative processes are discussed.

Base sequence dependence of in vitro translesional DNA replication past a bulky lesion catalyzed by the exo- Klenow fragment of Pol I

The effects of base sequence, specifically different pyrimidines flanking a bulky DNA adduct, on translesional synthesis in vitro catalyzed by the Klenow fragment of Escherichia coli Pol I (exo(-)) was investigated. The bulky lesion was derived from the binding of a benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide isomer [(+)-anti-BPDE] to N(2)-guanine (G*). Four different 43-base long oligonucleotide templates were constructed with G* at a site 19 bases from the 5'-end. All bases were identical, except for the pyrimidines, X or Y, flanking G* (sequence context 5'-.XGY., with X, Y = C and/or T). In all cases, the adduct G* slows primer extension beyond G* more than it slows the insertion of a dNTP opposite G* (A and G were predominantly inserted opposite G, with A > G). Depending on X or Y, full lesion bypass differed by factors of approximately 1.5-5 ( approximately 0.6-3.0% bypass efficiencies). A downstream T flanking G on the 5'-side instead of C favors full lesion bypass, while an upstream C flanking G* is more favorable than a T. Various deletion products resulting from misaligned template-primer intermediates are particularly dominant ( approximately 5.0-6.0% efficiencies) with an upstream flanking C, while a 3'-flanking T lowers the levels of deletion products ( approximately 0.5-2.5% efficiencies). The kinetics of (1) single dNTP insertion opposite G* and (2) extension of the primer beyond G* by a single dNTP, or in the presence of all four dNTPs, with different 3'-terminal primer bases (Z) opposite G* were investigated. Unusually efficient primer extension efficiencies beyond the adduct (approaching approximately 90%) was found with Z = T in the case of sequences with 3'-flanking upstream C rather than T. These effects are traced to misaligned slipped frameshift intermediates arising from the pairing of pairs of downstream template base sequences (up to 4-6 bases from G*) with the 3'-terminal primer base and its 5'-flanking base. The latter depend on the base Y and on the base preferentially inserted opposite the adduct. Thus, downstream template sequences as well as the bases flanking G* influence DNA translesion synthesis.

Influence of bulky polynuclear carcinogen lesions in a TATA promoter sequence on TATA binding protein-DNA complex formation

The TATA binding protein (TBP) is an essential component of the transcription initiation complex that recognizes and binds to the minor groove of the TATA DNA duplex consensus sequences. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a carcinogen-modified adenine residue, positioned site-specifically within a regulatory TATA DNA sequence, on the binding of TBP. Two 25-mer oligonucleotides with stereoisomeric 10S (+)-trans-anti- or 10R (-)-trans-anti-BPDE-N(6)-dA residues at A(1) or A(2) within the TATA sequence element (5'-...TA(1)TAAA...-3')-(5'-...TTTA(2)TA...) were synthesized (anti-BPDE-N(6)-dA denotes an adduct formed from the reaction of r7,t8-dihydroxy-t9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydobenzo[a]pyrene). The formation of complexes with TBP of these two sequences in the double-stranded forms (1 nM) were studied employing electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) at different TBP concentrations (0-70 nM). The overall affinity of TBP for the BPDE-modified target DNA sequences was weakly enhanced in the case of the (+)-trans or (-)-trans lesions positioned at site A(1) with K(d) approximately 8 and 6 nM, respectively (K(d) approximately 9 nM for the unmodified TATA DNA). Higher-order TBP-DNA complexes were observed at TBP concentrations in excess of approximately 15 nM. However, the stabilities of the biologically significant monomeric TBP-DNA complexes was dramatically increased or decreased, depending on the position of the lesion (A(1) or A(2)), or on its stereochemical and conformational characteristics. A molecular docking modeling approach was employed to insert the stereoisomeric BPDE residues into the known TATA box-TBP structure [Nikolov, D. B., et al. (1996) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 4862-4867] to rationalize these observations. Native gel electrophoresis experiments with the same duplexes without TBP indicate that none of the modified sequences exhibit unusual bending induced by the lesions, nor that they differ from one another in this respect. These results suggest that the hydrophobic, bulky BPDE residues influence the binding of TBP by mechanisms other than prebending. The efficiency of RNA transcription of TBP-controlled promoters could be strongly influenced by the presence of such bulky lesions that could adversely affect the levels of gene expression.

Bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase transcription elongation is inhibited by site-specific, stereospecific benzo[c]phenanthrene diol epoxide DNA lesions

Benzo[c]phenanthrene diol epoxide (B[c]PhDE), the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of the environmental pollutant benzo[c]phenanthrene, reacts with DNA primarily at the exocyclic amino groups of purines, forming B[c]PhDE-DNA adducts that differ in their stereochemical configurations and their effect on biological processes such as transcription. To determine the effect of these stereoisomers on RNA synthesis, in vitro T7 RNA polymerase transcription assays were performed using DNA templates modified on the transcribed strand by either a site-specific (+)-trans- or (-)-trans-anti-B[c]PhDE-N(6)-dA lesion located within the sequence 5'-CTCTCACTTCC-3'. The results show that both (-)-trans-anti-B[c]PhDE-N(6)-dA and (+)-trans-anti-B[c]PhDE-N(6)-dA block RNA synthesis. Furthermore, both B[c]PhDE-dA stereoisomeric adducts lead to lower levels of initiation of transcription relative to that observed using an unmodified DNA template. In contrast to these results, placement of the adduct on the nontranscribed strand within the template does not impede transcription elongation. In addition to the assessment of the effect of the lesions on transcription elongation, the resulting transcripts were characterized in terms of their base composition. A high level of base misincorporation is detected at the 3'-ends of truncated transcripts, with guanosine being most frequently incorporated opposite the modified nucleotide rather than the expected uridine. This result supports the notion that translocation past a modified base in a DNA template relies in part on correct base incorporation, and suggests that stalling of RNA polymerases at damaged sites in DNA may well be dependent on both the presence of the lesion and the base which is incorporated opposite the modified nucleotide.

Nitrogen dioxide as an oxidizing agent of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine but not of 2'-deoxyguanosine

The redox reactions of guanine and its widely studied oxidation product, the 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro derivative, are of significant importance for understanding the mechanisms of oxidative damage in DNA. Employing 2'-deoxyguanosine 5'-monophosphate (dGMP) and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) in neutral aqueous solutions as model systems, we have used nanosecond laser flash photolysis to demonstrate that neutral radicals, dGMP(-H)(*), derived by the one-electron oxidation and deprotonation of dGMP, can oxidize nitrite anions (NO2(-)) to the nitrogen dioxide radical (*)NO2. In turn, we show that (*)NO2 can give rise to a one-electron oxidation of 8-oxo-G, but not of dGMP. The one-electron oxidation of dGMP was initiated by a radical cation generated by the laser pulse-induced photoionization of a pyrene derivative with enhanced water solubility, 7,8,9,10-tetrahydroxytetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPT). The dGMP(-H)(*) neutral radicals formed via deprotonation of the dGMP(*)(+) radical cations and identified by their characteristic transient absorption spectrum (lambda(max) approximately 310 nm) oxidize nitrite anions with a rate constant of (2.6 +/- 0.3) x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1). The 8-oxo-dG is oxidized by (*)NO2 with a rate constant of (5.3 +/- 0.5) x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1). The 8-oxo-dG(-H)(*) neutral radicals thus generated are clearly identified by their characteristic transient absorption spectra (lambda(max) approximately 320 nm). The rate constant of 8-oxo-dG oxidation (k(12)) by the (*)NO2 one-electron oxidant (the (*)NO2/NO2(-) redox potential, E degrees approximately 1.04 V vs NHE) is lower than k(12) for a series of oxidizing aromatic radical cations with known redox potentials. The k(12) values for 8-oxo-dG oxidation by different aromatic radical cations derived from the photoionization of their parent compounds depend on the redox potentials of the latter, which were in the range of 0.8-1.6 V versus NHE. The magnitude of k(12) gradually decreases from a value of 2.2 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1) (E degrees = 1.62 V) to 5.8 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1) (E degrees = 1.13 V) and eventually to 5 x 10(7) M(-1) s(-1) (E degrees = 0.91 V). The implications of these results, including the possibility that the redox cycling of the (*)NO2/NO2(-) species can be involved in the further oxidative damage of 8-oxo-dG in DNA in cellular environments, are discussed.

Molecular topology of polycyclic aromatic carcinogens determines DNA adduct conformation: a link to tumorigenic activity

We report below on the solution structures of stereoisomeric "fjord" region trans-anti-benzo[c]phenanthrene-N2-guanine (designated (BPh)G) adducts positioned opposite cytosine within the (C-(BPh)G-C).(G-C-G) sequence context. We observe intercalation of the phenanthrenyl ring with stereoisomer-dependent directionality, without disruption of the modified (BPh)G.C base-pair. Intercalation occurs to the 5' side of the modified strand for the 1S stereoisomeric adduct and to the 3' side for the 1R stereoisomeric adduct, with the S and R-trans-isomers related to one another by inversion in a mirror plane at all four chiral carbon atoms on the benzylic ring. Intercalation of the fjord region BPh ring into the helix without disruption of the modified base-pair is achieved through buckling of the (BPh)G.C base-pair, displacement of the linkage bond from the plane of the (BPh)G base, adaptation of a chair pucker by the BPh benzylic ring and the propeller-like deviation from planarity of the BPh phenanthrenyl ring. It is noteworthy that intercalation without base-pair disruption occurs from the minor groove side for S and R-trans-anti BPh-N2-guanine adducts opposite C, in contrast to our previous demonstration of intercalation without modified base-pair disruption from the major groove side for S and R-trans-anti BPh-N6-adenine adducts opposite T. Further, these results on fjord region 1S and 1R-trans-anti (BPh)G adducts positioned opposite C are in striking contrast to earlier research with "bay" region benzo[a]pyrene-N2-guanine (designated (BP)G) adducts positioned opposite cytosine, where 10S and 10R-trans-anti stereoisomers were positioned with opposite directionality in the minor groove without modified base-pair disruption. They also are in contrast to the 10S and 10R-cis-anti stereoisomers of (BP)G adducts opposite C, where the pyrenyl ring is intercalated into the helix with directionality, but the modified base and its partner on the opposite strand are displaced out of the helix. These results are especially significant given the known greater tumorigenic potential of fjord region compared to bay region polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The tumorigenic potential has been linked to repair efficiency such that bay region adducts can be readily repaired while their fjord region counterparts are refractory to repair. Our structural results propose a link between DNA adduct conformation and repair-dependent mutagenic activity, which could ultimately translate into structure-dependent differences in tumorigenic activities. We propose that the fjord region minor groove-linked BPh-N2-guanine and major groove-linked BPh-N6-adenine adducts are refractory to repair based on our observations that the phenanthrenyl ring intercalates into the helix without modified base-pair disruption. The helix is therefore minimally perturbed and the phenanthrenyl ring is not available for recognition by the repair machinery. By contrast, the bay region BP-N2-G adducts are susceptible to repair, since the repair machinery can recognize either the pyrenyl ring positioned in the minor groove for the trans-anti groove-aligned stereoisomers, or the disrupted modified base-pair for the cis-anti base-displaced intercalated stereoisomers.

Hierarchy of DNA damage recognition in Escherichia coli nucleotide excision repair

DNA damage recognition plays a central role in nucleotide excision repair (NER). Here we present evidence that in Escherichia coli NER, DNA damage is recognized through at least two separate but successive steps, with the first focused on distortions from the normal structure of the DNA double helix (initial recognition) and the second specifically recognizing the type of DNA base modifications (second recognition), after an initial local separation of the DNA strands. DNA substrates containing stereoisomeric (+)- or (-)-trans- or (+)- or (-)-cis-BPDE-N(2)-dG lesions in DNA duplexes of known conformations were incised by UvrABC nuclease with efficiencies varying by up to 3-fold. However, these stereoisomeric adducts, when positioned in an opened, single-stranded DNA region, were all incised with similar efficiencies and with enhanced rates (by factors of 1.4-6). These bubble substrates were also equally and efficiently incised by UvrBC nuclease without UvrA. Furthermore, removal of the Watson-Crick partner cytosine residue (leaving an abasic site) in the complementary strand opposite a (+)-cis-BPDE-N(2)-dG lesion led to a significant reduction in both the binding of UvrA and the incision efficiency of UvrABC by a factor of 5. These data suggest that E. coli NER features a dynamic two-stage recognition mechanism.

Nitrogen dioxide as an oxidizing agent of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine but not of 2'-deoxyguanosine

The redox reactions of guanine and its widely studied oxidation product, the 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro derivative, are of significant importance for understanding the mechanisms of oxidative damage in DNA. Employing 2'-deoxyguanosine 5'-monophosphate (dGMP) and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) in neutral aqueous solutions as model systems, we have used nanosecond laser flash photolysis to demonstrate that neutral radicals, dGMP(-H)(*), derived by the one-electron oxidation and deprotonation of dGMP, can oxidize nitrite anions (NO2(-)) to the nitrogen dioxide radical (*)NO2. In turn, we show that (*)NO2 can give rise to a one-electron oxidation of 8-oxo-G, but not of dGMP. The one-electron oxidation of dGMP was initiated by a radical cation generated by the laser pulse-induced photoionization of a pyrene derivative with enhanced water solubility, 7,8,9,10-tetrahydroxytetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPT). The dGMP(-H)(*) neutral radicals formed via deprotonation of the dGMP(*)(+) radical cations and identified by their characteristic transient absorption spectrum (lambda(max) approximately 310 nm) oxidize nitrite anions with a rate constant of (2.6 +/- 0.3) x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1). The 8-oxo-dG is oxidized by (*)NO2 with a rate constant of (5.3 +/- 0.5) x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1). The 8-oxo-dG(-H)(*) neutral radicals thus generated are clearly identified by their characteristic transient absorption spectra (lambda(max) approximately 320 nm). The rate constant of 8-oxo-dG oxidation (k(12)) by the (*)NO2 one-electron oxidant (the (*)NO2/NO2(-) redox potential, E degrees approximately 1.04 V vs NHE) is lower than k(12) for a series of oxidizing aromatic radical cations with known redox potentials. The k(12) values for 8-oxo-dG oxidation by different aromatic radical cations derived from the photoionization of their parent compounds depend on the redox potentials of the latter, which were in the range of 0.8-1.6 V versus NHE. The magnitude of k(12) gradually decreases from a value of 2.2 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1) (E degrees = 1.62 V) to 5.8 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1) (E degrees = 1.13 V) and eventually to 5 x 10(7) M(-1) s(-1) (E degrees = 0.91 V). The implications of these results, including the possibility that the redox cycling of the (*)NO2/NO2(-) species can be involved in the further oxidative damage of 8-oxo-dG in DNA in cellular environments, are discussed.

Error-prone lesion bypass by human DNA polymerase eta

DNA lesion bypass is an important cellular response to genomic damage during replication. Human DNA polymerase eta (Pol(eta)), encoded by the Xeroderma pigmentosum variant (XPV) gene, is known for its activity of error-free translesion synthesis opposite a TT cis-syn cyclobutane dimer. Using purified human Pol(eta), we have examined bypass activities of this polymerase opposite several other DNA lesions. Human Pol(eta) efficiently bypassed a template 8-oxoguanine, incorporating an A or a C opposite the lesion with similar efficiencies. Human Pol(eta) effectively bypassed a template abasic site, incorporating an A and less frequently a G opposite the lesion. Significant -1 deletion was also observed when the template base 5' to the abasic site is a T. Human Pol(eta) partially bypassed a template (+)-trans-anti-benzo[a]pyrene-N:(2)-dG and predominantly incorporated an A, less frequently a T, and least frequently a G or a C opposite the lesion. This specificity of nucleotide incorporation correlates well with the known mutation spectrum of (+)-trans-anti-benzo[a]pyrene-N:(2)-dG lesion in mammalian cells. These results show that human Pol(eta) is capable of error-prone translesion DNA syntheses in vitro and suggest that Pol(eta) may bypass certain lesions with a mutagenic consequence in humans.

Error-free and error-prone lesion bypass by human DNA polymerase kappa in vitro

Error-free lesion bypass and error-prone lesion bypass are important cellular responses to DNA damage during replication, both of which require a DNA polymerase (Pol). To identify lesion bypass DNA polymerases, we have purified human Polkappa encoded by the DINB1 gene and examined its response to damaged DNA templates. Here, we show that human Polkappa is a novel lesion bypass polymerase in vitro. Purified human Polkappa efficiently bypassed a template 8-oxoguanine, incorporating mainly A and less frequently C opposite the lesion. Human Polkappa most frequently incorporated A opposite a template abasic site. Efficient further extension required T as the next template base, and was mediated mainly by a one-nucleotide deletion mechanism. Human Polkappa was able to bypass an acetylaminofluorene-modified G in DNA, incorporating either C or T, and less efficiently A opposite the lesion. Furthermore, human Polkappa effectively bypassed a template (-)-trans-anti-benzo[a]pyrene-N:(2)-dG lesion in an error-free manner by incorporating a C opposite the bulky adduct. In contrast, human Polkappa was unable to bypass a template TT dimer or a TT (6-4) photoproduct, two of the major UV lesions. These results suggest that Polkappa plays an important role in both error-free and error-prone lesion bypass in humans.

Differential incision of bulky carcinogen-DNA adducts by the UvrABC nuclease: comparison of incision rates and the interactions of Uvr subunits with lesions of different structures

The UvrABC nuclease system from Escherichia coli removes DNA damages induced by a wide range of chemical carcinogens with variable efficiencies. The interactions with UvrABC proteins of the following three lesions site-specifically positioned in DNA, and of known conformations, were investigated: (i) adducts derived from the binding of the (-)-(7S,8R,9R,10S) enantiomer of 7,8-dihydroxy-9, 10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene [(-)-anti-BPDE] by cis-covalent addition to N(2)-2'-deoxyguanosine [(-)-cis-anti-BP-N(2)-dG], (ii) an adduct derived from the binding of the (+)-(1R,2S,3S,4R) enantiomer of 1,2-dihydroxy-3,4-epoxy-1,2,3, 4-tetrahydro-5-methylchrysene [(+)-anti-5-MeCDE] by trans addition to N(2)-2'-deoxyguanosine [(+)-trans-anti-MC-N(2)-dG], and (iii) a C8-2'-deoxyguanosine adduct (C8-AP-dG) formed by reductively activated 1-nitropyrene (1-NP). The influence of these three different adducts on UvrA binding affinities, formation of UvrB-DNA complexes by quantitative gel mobility shift analyses, and the rates of UvrABC incision were investigated. The binding affinities of UvrA varied among the three adducts. UvrA bound to the DNA adduct (+)-trans-anti-MC-N(2)-dG with the highest affinity (K(d) = 17 +/- 2 nM) and to the DNA containing C8-AP-dG with the least affinity (K(d) = 28 +/- 1 nM). The extent of complex formation with UvrB was also the lowest with the C8-AP-dG adduct. 5' Incisions occurred at the eighth phosphate from the modified guanine. The major 3' incision site corresponded to the fifth phosphodiester bond for all three adducts. However, additional 3' incisions were observed at the fourth and sixth phosphates in the case of the C8-AP-dG adduct, whereas in the case of the (-)-cis-anti-BP-N(2)-dG and (+)-trans-anti-MC-N(2)-dG lesions additional 3' cleavage occurred at the sixth and seventh phosphodiester bonds. Both the initial rate and the extent of 5' and 3' incisions revealed that C8-AP-dG was repaired less efficiently in comparison to the (-)-cis-anti-BP-N(2)-dG and (+)-trans-anti-MC-N(2)-dG containing DNA adducts. Our study showed that UvrA recognizes conformational changes induced by structurally different lesions and that in certain cases the binding affinities of UvrA and UvrB can be correlated with the incision rates. The size of the bubble formed around the damaged site with mismatched bases also appears to influence the incision rates. A particularly noteworthy finding in this study is that UvrABC repair of a substrate with no base opposite C8-AP-dG was quite inefficient as compared to the same adduct with a C opposite it. These findings are discussed in terms of the available NMR solution structures.

The processing of a Benzo(a)pyrene adduct into a frameshift or a base substitution mutation requires a different set of genes in Escherichia coli

Replication through a single DNA lesion may give rise to a panel of translesion synthesis (TLS) events, which comprise error-free TLS, base substitutions and frameshift mutations. In order to determine the genetic control of the various TLS events induced by a single lesion, we have chosen the major N2-dG adduct of (+)-anti-Benzo(a)pyrene diol epoxide [(+)-anti-BPDE] adduct located within a short run of guanines as a model lesion. Within this sequence context, in addition to the major event, i.e. error-free TLS, the adduct also induces base substitutions (mostly G --> T transversions) and -1 frameshift mutations. The pathway leading to G --> T base substitution mutagenesis appears to be SOS independent, suggesting that TLS is most probably performed by the replicative Pol III holoenzyme itself. In contrast, both error-free and frameshift TLS pathways are dependent upon SOS-encoded functions that belong to the pool of inducible DNA polymerases specialized in TLS (translesional DNA polymerases), namely umuDC (Pol V) and dinB (Pol IV). It is likely that, given the diversity of conformations that can be adopted by lesion-containing replication intermediates, cells use one or several translesional DNA polymerases to achieve TLS.

Conformational determinants of structures in stereoisomeric cis-opened anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide adducts to adenine in DNA

As part of a comprehensive effort to understand the origins of the variety of structural motifs adopted by (+)- and (-)-cis- and trans-anti-[BP]-N(2)-dG and -N(6)-dA adducts, with the goal of contributing to the elucidation of the structure-function relationship, we present results of our comprehensive computational investigation of the C10R (+)-cis- and C10S (-)-cis-anti-[BP]-N(6)-dA adducts on the nucleoside level. We have surveyed the potential energy surface of these two adducts by varying systematically, at 5 degrees intervals in combination, the three key torsion angle determinants of conformational flexibility (chi, alpha', and beta') in each adduct, creating 373 248 structures, and evaluating each of their energies. This has permitted us to map the entire potential energy surface of each adduct and to delineate the low-energy regions. The energy maps possess a symmetric relationship in the (+)/(-) adduct pair. This symmetry in the maps stems from the mirror image configuration of the benzylic rings in the two adducts, which produces opposite orientations of the BP residues in the C10R and C10S adducts on the nucleoside level. These opposite orientations result from primary steric hindrance between the base and the BP moiety which ensues when a (+) stereoisomer is rotated to the conformation favored by the (-) stereoisomer, and vice versa. Moreover, this steric hindrance manifested on the nucleoside level governs the structure on the duplex DNA level, accounting for observed opposite orientations in high-resolution NMR studies of C10R/C10S adduct pairs.

Unrepaired fjord region polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in ras codon 61 mutational hot spots

The fjord region diol-epoxide metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons display stronger tumorigenic activities in rodent studies than comparable bay region diol-epoxides, but the molecular basis for this difference between fjord and bay region derivatives is not understood. Here we tested whether the variable effects of these genotoxic metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons may result from different DNA repair reactions. In particular, we compared the repairability of DNA adducts formed by bay region benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) diol-epoxides and the structurally similar but significantly more tumorigenic fjord region diol-epoxide metabolites of benzo[c]phenanthrene (B[c]Ph). For that purpose, we incorporated both types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon adducts into known hot spot sites for carcinogen-induced proto-oncogene activation. Synthetic DNA substrates were assembled using a portion of human N-ras or H-ras that includes codon 61, and stereospecific B[a]P or B[c]Ph adducts were synthesized on adenine N6 at the second position of these two ras codon 61 sequences. DNA repair was determined by incubating the site-directed substrates in human cell extracts, followed by electrophoretic visualization of radiolabeled oligonucleotide excision products. These cell-free assays showed that all tested bay region B[a]P-N6-dA adducts are removed by the human nucleotide excision repair system, although excision efficiency varied with the particular stereochemical configuration of each B[a]P residue. In contrast, all fjord region B[c]Ph-N6-dA adducts located in the identical sequence context and with exactly the same stereochemical properties as the corresponding B[a]P lesions were refractory to the nucleotide excision repair process. These findings indicate that the exceptional tumorigenic potency of B[c]Ph or related fjord region diol-epoxides may be attributed, at least in part, to slow repair of the stable base adducts deriving from the reaction of these compounds with DNA.

The decomposition of peroxynitrite to nitroxyl anion (NO-) and singlet oxygen in aqueous solution

The mechanism of decomposition of peroxynitrite (OONO(-)) in aqueous sodium phosphate buffer solution at neutral pH was investigated. The OONO(-) was synthesized by directly reacting nitric oxide with superoxide anion at pH 13. The hypothesis was explored that OONO(-), after protonation at pH 7.0 to HOONO, decomposes into (1)O(2) and HNO according to a spin-conserved unimolecular mechanism. Small aliquots of the concentrated alkaline OONO(-) solution were added to a buffer solution (final pH 7.0-7.2), and the formation of (1)O(2) and NO(-) in high yields was observed. The (1)O(2) generated was trapped as the transannular peroxide (DPAO(2)) of 9, 10-diphenylanthracene (DPA) dissolved in carbon tetrachloride. The nitroxyl anion (NO-) formed from HNO (pKa 4.5) was trapped as nitrosylhemoglobin (HbNO) in an aqueous methemoglobin (MetHb) solution. In the presence of 25 mM sodium bicarbonate, which is known to accelerate the rate of decomposition of OONO(-), the amount of singlet oxygen trapped was reduced by a factor of approximately 2 whereas the yield of trapping of NO(-) by methemoglobin remained unaffected. Because NO(3)(-) is known to be the ultimate decomposition product of OONO(-), these results suggest that the nitrate anion is not formed by a direct isomerization of OONO(-), but by an indirect route originating from NO(-).

Mismatch repair processing of carcinogen-DNA adducts triggers apoptosis

The DNA mismatch repair pathway is well known for its role in correcting biosynthetic errors of DNA replication. We report here a novel role for mismatch repair in signaling programmed cell death in response to DNA damage induced by chemical carcinogens. Cells proficient in mismatch repair were highly sensitive to the cytotoxic effects of chemical carcinogens, while cells defective in either human MutS or MutL homologs were relatively insensitive. Since wild-type cells but not mutant cells underwent apoptosis upon treatment with chemical carcinogens, the apoptotic response is dependent on a functional mismatch repair system. By analyzing p53 expression in several pairs of cell lines, we found that the mismatch repair-dependent apoptotic response was mediated through both p53-dependent and p53-independent pathways. In vitro biochemical studies demonstrated that the human mismatch recognition proteins hMutSalpha and hMutSbeta efficiently recognized DNA damage induced by chemical carcinogens, suggesting a direct participation of mismatch repair proteins in mediating the apoptotic response. Taken together, these studies further elucidate the mechanism by which mismatch repair deficiency predisposes to cancer, i.e., the deficiency not only causes a failure to repair mismatches generated during DNA metabolism but also fails to direct damaged and mutation-prone cells to commit suicide.

Solution conformation of the (+)-trans-anti-benzo[g]chrysene-dA adduct opposite dT in a DNA duplex

The solution structure of the adduct derived from the covalent bonding of the fjord region (+)-(11S, 12R, 13R, 14S) stereoisomer of anti -11,12-dihydroxy-13,14-epoxy-11,12,13, 14-tetrahydrobenzo[g]chrysene, (+)- anti -B[g]CDE, to the exocyclic N(6)amino group of the adenine residue dA6, (designated (+)- trans-anti -(B[g]C)dA6), positioned opposite a thymine residue dT17 in the DNA sequence context d(C1-T2-C3-T4-C5-(B[g]C)A6-C7-T8-T9-C10-C11). d(G12-G13-A14-A15-G16-T17-G18-A19-G20++ +-A21-G22) (designated (B[g]C)dA. dT 11-mer duplex), has been studied using structural information derived from NMR data in combination with molecular dynamics (MD) calculations. The solution structure of the (+)- trans-anti -(B[g]C)dA.dT 11-mer duplex has been determined using an MD protocol where both interproton distance and dihedral angle restraints deduced from NOESY and COSY spectra are used during the refinement process, followed by additional relaxation matrix refinement to the observed NOESY intensities to account for spin diffusion effects. The results established that the covalently attached benzo[g]chrysene ring intercalates into the DNA helix directed towards the 5'-side of the modified strand and stacks predominantly with dT17 when intercalated between dC5.dG18 and (B[g]C)dA6.dT17 base-pairs. All base-pairs, including the modified (B[g]C)dA6.dT17 base-pair, are aligned through Watson-Crick pairing as in normal B -DNA. In addition, the potential strain associated with the highly sterically hindered fjord region of the aromatic portion of the benzo[g]chrysenyl ring is relieved through the adoption of a non-planar, propeller-like geometry within the chrysenyl ring system. This conformation shares common structural features with the related (+)- trans-anti -(B[c]Ph)dA adduct in the identical base sequence context, derived from the fjord region (+)-(1S,2R,3R,4S)-3, 4-dihydroxy-1,2-epoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[c]phenanthrene stereoisomer, in which intercalation is also observed towards the 5'-side of the modified dA6.dT17 base-pair.

Primer length dependence of binding of DNA polymerase I Klenow fragment to template-primer complexes containing site-specific bulky lesions

The binding of the benzo[a]pyrene metabolite anti-BPDE (r7, t8-dihydroxy-t9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene) to the N(2) group of 2'-deoxyguanosine residues (dG) is known to adversely affect the Michaelis-Menten primer extension kinetics catalyzed by DNA Pol I and other polymerases. In this work, the impact of site-specific, anti-BPDE-modified DNA template strands on the formation of Pol I (Klenow fragment, KF)/template-primer complexes has been investigated. The 23-mer template strand 5'-d(AAC GC-(1) T(-)(2) ACC ATC CGA ATT CGC CC), I (dG = (+)-trans- and (-)-trans-anti-BPDE-N(2)-dG), was annealed with primer strands 18, 19, or 20 bases long. Complex formation of these template-primer strands with KF(-) (exonuclease-free) at different enzyme concentrations was determined using polyacrylamide gel mobility shift assays in the absence of dNTPs. The lesion dG causes an increase in the dissociation constants, K(d), of the monomeric, 1:1 KF(-)/DNA template-primer complexes by factors of 10-15 when the 3'-end base of the primer strand is positioned either opposite dG, or opposite dC(-)(1) in I, and the shapes of the binding isotherms are sigmoidal. The sigmoidal shapes are attributed to the formation of dimeric 2:1 KF(-)/DNA template-primer complexes. In contrast, when the 3'-end of the primer strand extends only to dT(-)(2) in I, the K(d) of 1:1 complexes is increased by factors of only 2-3, the shapes of the binding isotherms are hyperbolic and nonsigmoidal and are similar to those observed with the unmodified control, and monomeric KF(-)/DNA complexes are dominant. The impact of bulky lesions on polymerase/DNA complex formation in polymerase-catalyzed primer extension reactions needs to be taken into account in interpreting the site-specific Michaelis-Menten kinetics of these reactions.

Solution structure of the (+)-cis-anti-benzo[a]pyrene-dA ([BP]dA) adduct opposite dT in a DNA duplex

Minor adducts, derived from the covalent binding of anti-benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydroxy-9,10-epoxide to cellular DNA, may play an important role in generating mutations and initiating cancer. We have applied a combined NMR-computational approach including intensity based refinement to determine the solution structure of the minor (+)-cis-anti-[BP]dA adduct positioned opposite dT in the d(C1-T2-C3-T4-C5-[BP]A6-C7-T8-T9-C10-C11). (d(G12-G13-A14-A15-G16-T17-G18-A19-G20+ ++-A21-G22) 11-mer duplex. The BP ring system is intercalated toward the 5'-side of the [BP]dA6 lesion site without disrupting the flanking Watson-Crick dC5.dG18 and [BP]dA6.dT17 base pairs. This structure of the (+)-cis-anti-[BP]dA.dT 11-mer duplex, containing a bay region benzo[a]pyrenyl [BP]dA adduct, is compared with the corresponding structure of the (+)-trans-anti-[BPh]dA.dT 11-mer duplex (Cosman et al., Biochemistry 32, 12488-12497, 1993), which contains a fjord region benzo[c]phenanthrenyl [BPh]dA adduct with the same R stereochemistry at the linkage site. The carcinogen intercalates toward the 5'-direction of the modified strand in both duplexes (the adduct is embedded within the same sequence context) with the buckling of the Watson-Crick [BP]dA6.dT17 base pair more pronounced in the (+)-cis-anti-[BP]dA.dT 11-mer duplex compared to its Watson-Crick [BPh]dA.dT17 base pair in the (+)-trans-anti-[BPh]dA.dT 11-mer duplex. The available structural studies of covalent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) carcinogen-DNA adducts point toward the emergence of a general theme where distinct alignments are adopted by PAH adducts covalently linked to the N(6) of adenine when compared to the N(2) of guanine in DNA duplexes. The [BPh]dA and [BP]dA N(6)-adenine adducts intercalate their polycyclic aromatic rings into the helix without disruption of their modified base pairs. This may reflect the potential flexibility associated with the positioning of the covalent tether and the benzylic ring of the carcinogen in the sterically spacious major groove. By contrast, such an intercalation without modified base pair disruption option appears not to be available to [BP]dG N(2)-guanine adducts where the covalent tether and the benzylic ring are positioned in the more sterically crowded minor groove. In the case of [BP]dG adducts, the benzopyrenyl ring is either positioned in the minor groove without base pair disruption, or if intercalated into the helix, requires disruption of the modified base pair and displacement of the bases out of the helix.

Origins of conformational differences between cis and trans DNA adducts derived from enantiomeric anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxides

The two enantiomeric metabolites of the carcinogen precursor benzo[a]pyrene, (+)- and (-)-anti-BPDE [(7R,8S)-dihydroxy-(9S, 10R)-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene and the corresponding 7S,8R,9R,10S enantiomer, respectively], bind predominantly to the exocyclic amino groups of dG residues in double-stranded DNA by either cis or trans addition to yield four stereoisomerically distinct [BP]-N(2)-dG adducts. Both the 10S (+)-trans and 10R (-)-transadducts assume minor groove conformations in normal, full duplexes, but with opposite 5' or 3' orientations, respectively, relative to the modified strand. In contrast, the 10R (+)-cis and 10S (-)-cis adducts assume oppositely oriented base-displaced intercalative conformations in normal duplexes, with the inserted pyrenyl residues pointing toward the major groove in the (+)-cis isomer and toward the minor groove in the (-)-cis isomer. A BPDE-modified nucleoside is a small system which can be studied by computational methods with a very thorough survey of the potential energy surface. To investigate conformational differences between cis and trans adducts, and to elucidate origins governing the opposite orientations of these (+)- and (-)-diol epoxide adducts, we have carried out extensive investigations of the (+)- and (-)-trans-anti- and (+)- and (-)-cis-anti-[BP]-N(2)-dG deoxynucleoside adduct pairs. We report results for the (+)- and (-)-cis-anti pair, and compare them with the (+)- and (-)-trans-anti adducts. We created 373 248 different conformers for each adduct, which uniformly sampled at 5 degrees intervals the possible rotamers about three flexible torsion angles governing base (chi) and carcinogen (alpha' and beta') orientations, and computed each of their energies. The potential energy surface of the molecule was then mapped from these results. While four potential energy wells or structural domains are found for the (+)-trans adduct and four for the (-)-trans adduct, only two of these four domains are favored for each of the two cis adducts. In both cis and trans adducts, the (+)/(-) pairs of each structural domain are nearly mirror images. The most favored of the domains in both cis and trans adducts is observed experimentally in the duplexes containing each of these [BP]-N(2)-dG lesions. The opposite orientations in both cis and trans adducts stem from steric crowding at the benzylic ring, engendered when a (+) stereoisomer is rotated into the analogous conformation of its (-) partner, and vice versa. Furthermore, the key role of the difference in absolute configuration between trans and cis adducts at the hydroxyls of C9 and C8 in governing conformational preferences and flexibility is delineated. Cis adducts are less conformationally flexible than trans adducts because they are inherently more sterically crowded, with C9-OH and C8-OH on the same side of the benzylic ring as guanine and sugar, while they are on the opposite side of the benzylic ring in the trans adducts. Consequently, the cis adducts inherently favor less the minor groove position adopted by trans adducts in DNA duplexes because the C9-OH and C8-OH are directed inward into the minor groove in the cis adducts. In the trans adducts, the C9-OH and C8-OH are directed outward, away from the interior of the minor groove. Observed differential processing of these four adducts by replication, repair, and transcription enzymes may well stem from their differing conformational preferences.

Stereochemical origin of opposite orientations in DNA adducts derived from enantiomeric anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxides with different tumorigenic potentials

When covalently linked to DNA, enantiomeric pairs of mirror image aromatic diol epoxides with differing tumorigenic potencies adopt opposite orientations along the DNA helix. This phenomenon has been observed by high-resolution NMR solution studies in a number of systems. Preliminary modeling efforts [Geacintov et al. (1997) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 10, 111-146) had suggested that the origin of the opposite orientation effect may be manifested even at the level of the carcinogen-modified nucleoside due to primary steric hindrance effects between the aromatic moiety and the attached base and sugar. Such a small system can be computationally investigated extensively, since a very thorough survey of the potential energy surface is feasible. Consequently, in an effort to understand the underlying origins of the opposite orientations in (+)-trans and (-)-trans-anti adduct pairs, we have undertaken an extensive investigation of the paradigm 10S (+) and 10R (-)-trans-anti-[BP]-N2-dG mononucleoside adduct pair, derived from the binding of the (+)-7R,8S,9S,10R and (-)-7S,8R,9R,10S enantiomers of 7,8-dihydro-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9, 10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BP) to the exocyclic amino group of 2'-deoxyguanosine. In the present work we created 373248 different conformers for each adduct, which uniformly sampled the possible rotamers about the three flexible torsion angles governing the orientation of the base (chi) and its covalently linked BP residue (alpha', beta') at 5 degrees intervals, and computed each of their energies with AMBER 4.0. The extensive results permitted us to map the potential energy surface of the molecule. Only four low-energy structural domains are found for the (+)-trans adduct and four for the (-)-trans adduct; the (+)/(-) pairs of each structural domain are mirror images, with the mirror image symmetry broken by the sugar and its attached C4'-C5' group. The most favored of these four is observed experimentally in the duplexes containing the same (+) and (-)-trans-anti-[BP]-N2-dG adducts (Cosman et al. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89, 1914-1918; de los Santos et al. (1992) Biochemistry 31, 5245-5252). The origin of the opposite orientations resides in steric hindrance effects resulting from the mirror image relationship of the BP benzylic rings in the adduct pair, such that rotation of one stereoisomer into the conformational domain preferred by the other causes crowding between the base and the BP benzylic ring. Limited conformational flexibility in the torsion angle beta', the one closest to the bulky BP moiety at the linkage site to guanine, plays a key role in governing the orientations in each adduct. The opposite orientation phenomenon is likely to manifest itself when the adducts are processed by cellular enzymes involved in replication, repair, and transcription and thus play a role in the differing biological outcomes stemming from the (+) and (-)-trans-anti adducts.

Multiphoton near-infrared femtosecond laser pulse-induced DNA damage with and without the photosensitizer proflavine

The excitation of pBr322 supercoiled plasmid DNA with intense near-IR 810 nm fs laser pulses by a simultaneous multiphoton absorption mechanism results in single-strand breaks after treatment of the irradiated samples with Micrococcus luteus UV endonuclease. This enzyme cleaves DNA strands at sites of cyclobutane dimers that are formed by the simultaneous absorption of three (or more) 810 nm IR photons (pulse width approximately 140 fs, 76 MHz pulse repetition, average power output focused through 10x microscope objective is approximately 1.2 MW/cm2). Direct single-strand breaks (without treatment with M. luteus) were not observed under these conditions. However, in the presence of 6 microM of the intercalator proflavine (PF), both direct single- and double-strand breaks are observed under conditions where substantial fractions of undamaged supercoiled DNA molecules are still present. The fraction of direct double-strand breaks is 30 +/- 5% of all measurable strand cleavage events, is independent of dosage (up to 6.4 GJ/cm2) and is proportional to In, where I is the average power/area of the 810 nm fs laser pulses, and n = 3 +/- 1. The nicking of two DNA strands in the immediate vicinity of the excited PF molecules gives rise to this double-strand cleavage. In contrast, excitation of the same samples under low-power, single-photon absorption conditions (approximately 400-500 nm) gives rise predominantly to single-strand breaks, but some double-strand breaks are observed at the higher dosages. Thus, single-photon excitation with 400-500 nm light and multiphoton activation of PF by near-IR fs laser pulses produces different distributions of single- and double-strand breaks. These results suggest that DNA strand cleavage originates from unrelaxed, higher excited states when PF is excited by simultaneous IR multiphoton absorption processes.

The major, N2-dG adduct of (+)-anti-B[a]PDE induces G-->A mutations in a 5'-AGA-3' sequence context

Previously, in a random mutagenesis study, the (+)-anti diol epoxide of benzo[a]pyrene [(+)-anti-B[a]PDE] was shown to induce a complex mutational spectrum in the supF gene of an Escherichia coli plasmid, which included insertions, deletions and base substitution mutations, notably a significant fraction of GC-->TA, GC-->AT and GC-->CG mutations. At some sites, a single type of mutation dominated and to understand individual mutagenic pathways these sites were chosen for study by site-specific means to determine whether the major adduct, [+ta]-B[a]P-N2-dG, was responsible. [+ta]-B[a]P-N2-dG was shown to induce approximately 95% G-->T mutations in a 5'-TGC-3' sequence context and approximately 80% G-->A mutations in a 5'-CGT-3' sequence context. (+)-anti-B[a]PDE induced principally GC-->CG mutations in the G133 sequence context (5'-AGA-3') in studies using both SOS-uninduced or SOS-induced E. coli. Herein, [+ta]-B[a]P-N2-dG is shown to induce principally G-->A mutations (>90%) either without or with SOS induction in a closely related 5'-AGA-3' sequence context (identical over 7 bp). This is the first time that there has been a discrepancy between the mutagenic specificity of (+)-anti-B[a]PDE versus [+ta]-B[a]P-N2-dG. Eight explanations for this discordance are considered. Four are ruled out; e.g. the second most prevalent adduct [+ca]-B[a]P-N2-dG also induces a preponderance of G-->A mutations (>90%), so it also is not responsible for (+)-anti-B[a]PDE-induced G133-->C mutations. The four explanations not ruled out are discussed and include that another minor adduct might be responsible and that the 5'-AGA-3' sequence context differed slightly in the studies with [+ta]-B[a]P-N2-dG versus (+)-anti-B[a]PDE. In spite of the discordance, [+ta]-B[a]P-N2-dG induces G-->A mutations in the context studied herein and this result has proven useful in generating a hypothesis for what conformations of [+ta]-B[a]P-N2-dG are responsible for G-->T versus G-->A mutations.

Mass spectrometric sequencing of site-specific carcinogen-modified oligodeoxyribonucleotides containing bulky benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide-deoxyguanosyl adducts

Site-specific carcinogen-modified oligonucleotides are often used in site-directed mutagenesis and other biological and biochemical studies of structure-function relationships. Postsynthetic analysis and confirmation of the sites of carcinogen binding in such oligonucleotides is an important step in the characterization of these site-specific carcinogen-DNA adducts. It is shown here that negative ion mode electrospray tandem mass spectrometry methods and collision-induced dissociation offer a rapid and convenient approach for the sequencing of products derived from the reaction of the carcinogenic and mutagenic metabolite of benzo[a]pyrene, the diol epoxide r7,t8-dihydroxy-t9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (anti-BPDE), with the 11-mer oligonucleotide d(CATGCGGCCTAC). The site of reaction of anti-BPDE with either one of the three dG residues in this oligonucleotide can be accurately established by comparing the mass/charge ratios of the observed collision-induced dissociation fragments with calculated values.

Photoaddition to DNA by nonintercalated chlorpromazine molecules

Chlorpromazine (CPZ) forms photoadducts with DNA and photosensitizes DNA strand breaks. These reactions may be responsible for the reported photomutagenicity of CPZ and for the well-known cutaneous and ocular phototoxicity associated with this drug. We have investigated whether CPZ molecules that are intercalated between base pairs in double-stranded (ds) DNA are the absorbing species for the photoaddition reaction. Quenching of CPZ fluorescence by ds-DNA gave nonlinear Stern-Volmer plots, indicating that more than one type of complex is formed. Linear dichroism spectra of CPZ in the presence of ds-DNA showed a minimum at 345 nm, indicating that the absorption maxima of intercalation complex(es) are red-shifted compared to the absorption maximum of free CPZ at 307 nm. The sum of the absorption of all CPZ complexes with ds-DNA, obtained from dialysis experiments, was broadened and maximized at about 315 nm, indicating that complexes not involving intercalation dominate the absorption spectrum at lambda < 350 nm. The wavelength dependence for covalent binding of CPZ to DNA was determined by irradiating 3H-CPZ in the presence of ds-DNA at 310, 322, 334, 346, 358 and 370 nm. The resulting spectrum correlated closely with the absorption spectrum of nonintercalated CPZ rather than with the spectrum of intercalated CPZ, indicating that the latter species is not the chromophore for the photoaddition reaction.

Hydrophobic forces dominate the thermodynamic characteristics of UvrA-DNA damage interactions

The Escherichia coli DNA repair proteins UvrA, UvrB and UvrC work together to recognize and incise DNA damage during the process of nucleotide excision repair (NER). To gain an understanding of the damage recognition properties of UvrA, we have used fluorescence spectroscopy to study the thermodynamics of its interaction with a defined DNA substrate containing a benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE) adduct. Oligonucleotides containing a single site-specifically modified N2-guanine (+)-trans-, (-)-trans-, (+)-cis-, or (-)-cis-BPDE adducts were ligated into 50-base-pair DNA fragments. All four stereoisomers of DNA-BPDE adducts show an excitation maximum at 350 nm and an emission maximum around 380 to 385 nm. Binding of UvrA to the BPDE-DNA adducts results in a five to sevenfold fluorescence enhancement. Titration of the BPDE-adducted DNA with UvrA was used to generate binding isotherms. The equilibrium dissociation constants for UvrA binding to (+)-trans-, (-)-trans-, (+)-cis-, and (-)-cis- BPDE adduct were: 7.4+/-1.9, 15. 8+/-5.4, 11.3+/-2.7 and 22.4+/-2.0 nM, respectively. There was a large negative change in heat capacity DeltaCpo,obs, (-3.3 kcal mol-1 K-1) accompanied by a relatively unchanged DeltaGoobs with temperature. Furthermore, varying the concentration of KCl showed that the number of ions released upon formation of UvrA-DNA complex is about 3.4, a relatively small value compared to the contact size of UvrA with the substrate. These data suggest that hydrophobic interactions are an important driving force for UvrA binding to BPDE-damaged DNA.

Mutagenic potential of stereoisomeric bay region (+)- and (-)-cis-anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide-N2-2'-deoxyguanosine adducts in Escherichia coli and simian kidney cells

We have investigated the mutagenic potential of site-specifically positioned DNA adducts with (+)- and (-)-cis-anti stereochemistry derived from the binding of r7,t8-dihydroxy-t9,10-epoxy-7,8,9, 10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPDE) to N2-2'-deoxyguanosine (G1 or G2) in the sequence context 5'TCCTCCTG1 G2CCTCTC. BPDE-modified oligodeoxynucleotides were ligated to a single-stranded DNA vector and replicated in Escherichia coli or simian kidney (COS7) cells. The presence of (+)- or (-)-cis adduct strongly reduced the yield of transformants in E. coli, and the yield was improved by the induction of SOS functions. Both adducts were mutagenic in E. coli and COS cells, generating primarily G --> T transversions. In E. coli, the (-)-cis adduct was more mutagenic than the (+)-cis adduct, while in COS cells, both adducts were equally mutagenic. These results were compared with those obtained with stereoisomeric (+)- and (-)-trans adducts [Moriya, M., et al. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 16646-16651). In E. coli, cis adducts, especially (-)-cis adducts, are consistently more mutagenic than the comparable trans adduct. In COS cells, trans adducts yield higher frequencies of mutations than the two cis adducts and, with the exception of the high-mutation frequency associated with the (+)-trans adduct at G2, relatively small differences in mutation frequencies are observed for the three other adducts. In E. coli, mutation frequency is a pronounced function of adduct stereochemistry and adduct position. These findings suggest that the fidelity of translesional synthesis across BPDE-dG adducts is strongly influenced by adduct stereochemistry, nucleotide sequence context, and the DNA replication complex.

Sequence dependence and characteristics of bends induced by site-specific polynuclear aromatic carcinogen-deoxyguanosine lesions in oligonucleotides

The tumorigenic metabolite of benzo[a]pyrene, the (+)-7R,8S,9S,10R enantiomer, and the nontumorigenic mirror-image isomer, (-)-7S,8R,9R, 10S, of r7,t8-dihydroxy-t9,10-epoxy-7,8,9, 10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (anti-BPDE) bind covalently to the exocyclic amino group of deoxyguanosine (N2-dG) in native DNA. These adducts can cause structural perturbations such as DNA bends, which in turn may influence the cellular processing of these lesions. The characteristics of bends in site-specifically modified oligodeoxyribonucleotide duplexes induced by single (+)- and (-)-anti-[BP]-N2-dG lesions were examined by self-ligation and gel electrophoresis techniques. The modified residues (dG*) were centrally positioned in the 11-mer oligonucleotide d(CACAXG*XACAC) complexed with the natural complementary strands, with X = T or C, or in oligonucleotides 16 or 22 base pairs long with the same centrally positioned 11-mer. Among the four stereochemically distinct lesions, the 10S(+)-trans-anti-[BP]-N2-dG adducts were significantly more bent than any of the other three stereoisomeric adducts and were selected for detailed studies. In the TG*T sequence context (X = T), the retardation factor RL (apparent length of multimer/sequence length) is approximately independent of the phasing (distance, in base pairs, between the lesions) of the adducts with respect to the helical repeat (10.5 base pairs/helix turn). In contrast, in the CG*C sequence context (X = C), RL is markedly lower in the case of ligated 16-mers than in the case of ligated 11-mer duplexes. The dependence of RL on the phasing of the bends as a function of the helical repeat, indicate that the bends associated with (+)-trans-anti-[BP]-N2-dG lesions are relatively rigid in the d(...CG*C...).d(...GCG...) sequences, and flexible in the d(...TG*T...).d(...ACA...) sequence context. These differences are attributed to the orientations of the pyrenyl residues on the 5'-side of the modified deoxyguanosine residues in the minor groove and to the intrinsic roll and tilt characteristics of DNA dinucleotide steps CG, GC, TG, and GT. The influence of flanking bases on the extent and character of DNA bending suggest that base sequence effects may be important in the cellular processing of (+)-trans-anti-[BP]-N2-dG lesions.

Role of hydrophobic effects in the reaction of a polynuclear aromatic diol epoxide with oligodeoxynucleotides in aqueous solutions

The need for large-scale direct synthesis of stereochemically defined and site-specific benzo[alpha]pyrenediol epoxide-oligodeoxyribonucleotide adducts for detailed NMR and other biochemical and physicochemical studies has necessitated a better understanding of variables that lead to an enhancement of the reaction yields. It is shown that, in aqueous solution, the formation of noncovalent hydrophobic complexes between 7r, 8t-dihydroxy-9t,10t-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[alpha] pyrene (BPDE) and the single-stranded oligonucleotide 5'-d(CCATCGCTACC) precedes the covalent binding reaction of BPDE with the single deoxyguanosine residue. The yield of covalent reaction products (involving reaction of BPDE at the C10 position with the exocyclic amino group of the dG residue) increases with increasing DNA concentration and tends toward saturation at oligonucleotide single-strand concentrations above approximately 3 mM. The addition of NaCl (0.3 M) also tends to enhance the adduct reaction yields. However, organic solvents such as tetrahydrofuran in the reaction mixtures (10-40%) decrease the stabilities of the noncovalent complexes, which in turn leads to reductions in the yields of covalent BPDE-dG oligonucleotide adducts. The efficiencies of formation of hydrophobic complexes were probed by fluorescence and UV absorption techniques using the BPDE tetrol hydrolysis product 7,8,9,10-tetrahydroxytetrahydrobenzo[alpha]pyrene as a model system.

Bending and circularization of site-specific and stereoisomeric carcinogen-DNA adducts

The potent tumorigen and mutagen (+)-7(R),8(S)-dihydroxy-9(S), 10(R)-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene ((+)-anti-BPDE) is a metabolite of benzo[a]pyrene that binds predominantly to the exocyclic amino group of guanine residues in DNA in vivo and in vitro. While the (-)-7S,8R,9R,10Senantiomer, (-)-anti-BPDE, also reacts with DNA to form similar covalent N2-deoxyguanosyl adducts, this diol epoxide is nontumorigenic and its mutagenic activities are different from those of (+)-anti-BPDE. In this work, T4 ligase-induced cyclization methods have been employed to demonstrate that the (+)-anti-[BP]-N2-dG lesions (G*) cause significantly greater amounts of bending and circularization of the one-base overhang undecamer duplex 5'-d(CACAT[G*]TACAC).d(TGTACATGTGG) than the stereoisomeric oligonucleotide duplex with G* = (-)-anti-[BP]-N2-dG. In the case of the (+)-anti-BPDE-modified oligonucleotides, the ratio of circular to linear DNA multimers reaches values of 8-9 for circle contour sizes of 99-121 base pairs, while for the (-)-anti-[BP]-N2-dG-modified DNA this ratio reaches a maximum value of only approximately 1 at 154-176 base pairs. Assuming a planar circle DNA model, the inferred bending angles for 90-92% of the observed circular ligation products range from 30 to 51 degrees per (+)-trans-anti-[BP]-N2-dG lesion and from 20 to 40 degrees per (-)-trans-anti-[BP]-N2-dG lesion. In the case of unmodified DNA, the probability of circular product formation is at least 1 order of magnitude less efficient than in the BPDE-modified sequences and about 90% of the circular products exhibit bending angles in the range of 14 -19 degrees . In the most abundant circular products observed experimentally, the bending angles are 40 degrees and 26 +/- 2 degrees per (+)-anti-[BP]- or (-)-anti-[BP]-modified 11-mer; these values correspond to a net contribution of 21-26 degrees and 5-19 degrees , respectively, to the observed overall bending per lesion. The coexistence of circular DNA molecules of different sizes and, therefore, different average bending angles per lesion, suggest that the lesions induce both torsional flexibility and flexible bends, which permit efficient cyclization, especially in the case of (+)-trans-[BP]-N2-dG adducts. The NMR characteristics of (+)-trans-[BP]-N2-dG lesion in the 11-mer duplex 5'-d(CACAT[G*]TACAC).d(GTGTACATGTG) indicate that all base pairs are intact, except at the underlined base pairs. This suggests a distortion in the normal conformation of the duplex on the 5'-side of the modified guanosine residue, which may be due to bending enhanced base pair opening and bending induced by the bulky carcinogen residue. The implications of base sequence-dependent flexibilities and conformational mobilities of anti-[BP]-N2-dG lesions on DNA replication and mutation are discussed.

Single-strand breaks in oligodeoxyribonucleotides induced by fission neutrons and gamma radiation and measured by gel electrophoresis: protective effects of aminothiols

The technique of high-resolution gel electrophoresis using oligodeoxyribonucleotides of known composition as model systems, offers a simple quantitative estimate of DNA damage in aqueous solution induced by ionizing radiation. The fraction of damaged DNA can be quantitatively defined in terms of the increased electrophoretic mobilities of the damaged oligonucleotides, relative to the mobility of the unirradiated and intact oligonucleotides. The usual direct strand breaks can be observed at gamma-ray dosages of 200 Gy. However, at a gamma-ray dosage of 400 Gy, only a broad background, attributed to heterogeneously and multiply damaged oligonucleotide fragments with overlapping and varying electrophoretic mobilities, can be distinguished. On the other hand, individual bands due to resolvable DNA fragments are evident even at dosages as high as 400 Gy for fission neutrons. When double-stranded oligonucleotides are exposed to gamma-ray dosages of 200 Gy, the fraction of damaged DNA approaches 30-40%. This damage can be almost completely suppressed (> 99%) if the irradiations are conducted in aqueous solutions in the presence of 0.5-1.0 mM concentrations of the thiols cysteamine or 3-(3-methylaminopropylamino)propanethiol (WR-151326). The rate constant of reaction of OH radicals with small double stranded oligonucleotides 16 base pairs long, KDNA, is found to be closer to the diffusion-controlled value (> 3 x 10(9) M-1 s-1) than the magnitudes of KDNA for the higher molecular weight, native DNA reported in the literature. These observations suggest that oligonucleotides represent more simple model systems than native DNA in solutions for studying the mechanisms of radioprotection exerted by thiols of different structures.

Base pair conformation-dependent excision of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide-guanine adducts by human nucleotide excision repair enzymes

Human nucleotide excision repair processes carcinogen-DNA adducts at highly variable rates, even at adjacent sites along individual genes. Here, we identify conformational determinants of fast or slow repair by testing excision of N2-guanine adducts formed by benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE), a potent and ubiquitous mutagen that induces mainly G x C-->T x A transversions and frameshift deletions. We found that human nucleotide excision repair processes the predominant (+)-trans-BPDE-N2-dG adduct 15 times less efficiently than a standard acetylaminofluorene-C8-dG lesion in the same sequence. No difference was observed between (+)-trans- and (-)-trans-BPDE-N2-dG, but excision was enhanced about 10-fold by changing the adduct configurations to either (+)-cis- or (-)-cis-BPDE-N2-dG. Conversely, excision of (+)-cis- and (-)-cis- but not (+)-trans-BPDE-N2-dG was reduced about 10-fold when the complementary cytosine was replaced by adenine, and excision of these BPDE lesions was essentially abolished when the complementary deoxyribonucleotide was missing. Thus, a set of chemically identical BPDE adducts yielded a greater-than-100-fold range of repair rates, demonstrating that nucleotide excision repair activity is entirely dictated by local DNA conformation. In particular, this unique comparison between structurally highly defined substrates shows that fast excision of BPDE-N2-dG lesions is correlated with displacement of both the modified guanine and its partner base in the complementary strand from their normal intrahelical positions. The very slow excision of carcinogen-DNA adducts located opposite deletion sites reveals a cellular strategy that minimizes the fixation of frameshifts after mutagenic translesion synthesis.

Structural alignment of the (+)-trans-anti-benzo[a]pyrene-dG adduct positioned opposite dC at a DNA template-primer junction

This study reports on the solution conformation of the covalent (+)-trans-anti-[BP]dG adduct (derived from the binding of the highly mutagenic and tumorigenic (+)-anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide to the N2 of deoxyguanosine) positioned opposite dC at a junctional site in the d(A1-A2-C3-[BP]G4-C5- T6-A7-C8-C9-A10-T11-C12-C13).d(G14-G15-A16-T17-+ ++G18-G19-T20-A21-G22-C23) 13/10-mer DNA sequence. The 13-mer represents the template strand containing the junction [BP]dG4 lesion while the complementary 10-mer models a primer strand which extends upto and is complementary to the modified dG4 residue. The solution conformation has been determined by initially incorporating intramolecular and intermolecular proton-proton distances defined by lower and upper bounds deduced from NOESY spectra as restraints in molecular mechanics computations in torsion angle space and subsequently through restrained molecular dynamics calculations based on a NOE distance and intensity refinement protocol. The duplex segment retains a minimally perturbed B-DNA conformation with all base pairs, including the junctional [BP]dG4.dC23 pair, in Watson-Crick hydrogen-bonded alignments. The pyrenyl ring is not stacked over the adjacent dC5.dG22 base pair but is positioned on the minor groove-side of the [BP]dG moiety and directed toward the 5'-end of the template strand. The pyrenyl ring stacks over the base of the non-adjacent dA2 residue in one direction and the sugar ring of dC23 in the other direction. The solution structure of the (+)-trans-anti-[BP]dG adduct opposite dC in the 13/10-mer in which the modified deoxyguanosine adopts an anti glycosidic torsion angle (this study) is in striking contrast to the structure of the same (+)-trans-anti-[BP]dG moiety in a 13/9-mer of the same sequence but without the dC23 residue positioned opposite the adduct site [Cosman, M., et al. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 15334-15350]. For the latter case, the aromatic portion of the BP residue stacks over the adjacent dC5.dG22 base pair, the modified deoxyguanosine adopts a syn glycosidic torsion angle and is displaced toward the major groove direction. Insights into the factors that affect the sequence and context dependent conformations of stereoisomeric [BP]dG lesions have emerged following comparison of these two structures with the minor groove conformations of the same (+)-trans-anti-[BP]dG lesion in the fully complementary 11-mer duplex [Cosman, M., et al. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89, 1914-1918] and in the base displaced-intercalative conformation of the 11/10-mer deletion duplex containing a -1 deletion site opposite the lesion [Cosman, M., et al. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 11507-11517]. The contributing factors where applicable include Watson-Crick base pairing at the site of the lesion, positioning of the carcinogen within the floor of the minor groove, and the tendency of the bulky hydrophobic aromatic BP residue to assume stacked or intercalative conformations.

Solution conformation of the (-)-trans-anti-[BP]dG adduct opposite a deletion site in a DNA duplex: intercalation of the covalently attached benzo[a]pyrene into the helix with base displacement of the modified deoxyguanosine into the minor groove

A combined NMR-computational approach was employed to determine the solution structure of the (-)-trans-anti-[BP]dG adduct positioned opposite a -1 deletion site in the d(C1-C2-A3-T4-C5- [BP]G6-C7-T8-A9-C10-C11).d(G12-G13-T14-A15-G1 6-G17-A18-T19-G20-G21) sequence context. The (-)-trans-anti-[BP]dG moiety is derived from the binding of the (-)-anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide [(-)-anti-BPDE] to N2 of dG6 and has a 10R absolute configuration at the [BP]dG linkage site. The exchangeable and non-exchangeable protons of the benzo[a]pyrenyl moiety and the nucleic acid were assigned following analysis of two-dimensional NMR data sets in H2O and D2O solution. The solution conformation has been determined by incorporating intramolecular and intermolecular proton-proton distances defined by lower and upper bounds deduced from NOESY spectra as restraints in molecular mechanics computations in torsion angle space followed by restrained molecular dynamics calculations based on a NOE distance and intensity refinement protocol. Our structural studies establish that the aromatic BP ring system intercalates into the helix opposite the deletion site, while the modified deoxyguanosine residue is displaced into the minor groove with its face parallel to the helix axis. The intercalation site is wedge-shaped and the BP aromatic ring system stacks over intact flanking Watson-Crick dG.dC base pairs. The modified deoxyguanosine stacks over the minor groove face of the sugar ring of the 5'-flanking dC5 residue. The BP moiety is positioned with the benzylic ring oriented toward the minor groove and the distal pyrenyl aromatic ring directed toward the major groove. This conformation strikingly contrasts with the corresponding structure in the full duplex with the same 10R (-)-trans-anti-[BP]dG lesion positioned opposite a complementary dC residue [de los Santos et al. (1992) Biochemistry 31, 5245-5252); in this case the aromatic BP ring system is located in the minor groove, and there is no disruption of the [BP]dG.dC Watson-Crick base pairing alignment. The intercalation-base displacement features of the 10R (-)-trans-anti-[BP]dG adduct opposite a deletion site have features in common to those of the 10S (+)-trans-anti-[BP]dG adduct opposite a deletion site previously reported by Cosman et al. [(1994)(Biochemistry 33, 11507-11517], except that there is a nearly 180 degrees rotation of the BP residue about the axis of the helix at the base-displaced intercalation site and the modified deoxyguanosine is positioned in the opposite groove. In the 10S adduct, the benzylic ring is in the major groove and the aromatic ring systems point toward the minor groove. This work extends the theme of opposite orientations of adducts derived from chiral pairs of (+)- and (-)-anti-BPDE enantiomers; both 10S and 10R adducts can be positioned with opposite orientations either in the minor groove or at base displaced intercalation sites, depending on the presence or absence of the partner dC base in the complementary strand.

How stereochemistry affects mutagenesis by N2-deoxyguanosine adducts of 7,8-dihydroxy-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene: configuration of the adduct bond is more important than those of the hydroxyl groups

Previous work has shown that the major adduct from the (+)-anti diol epoxide of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), which forms at N2-deoxyguanosine [(+)-trans-anti-B[a]P-N2-dG], is capable of inducing either predominantely G --> T mutations ( approximately 95%) in a 5'-TGC-3 sequence context or predominantly G --> A mutations ( approximately 80%) in a 5'-CGT-3' sequence context. This is likely to be attributable to the major adduct being in a different mutagenic conformation in each case. In the next phase of this work, the questions to be addressed are what conformation is associated with what mutation and why? To help define what aspect of adduct structure is important to mutagenesis, the work herein reports on the mutations induced in a single sequence context by four stereoisomers of B[a]P-N2-dG: (+)-trans-, (+)-cis-, (-)-trans-, and (-)-cis-. The (+)-trans- and (-)-cis-adducts show a remarkably similar mutational pattern with G --> A mutations predominating ( approximately 80%). The (-)-trans- and (+)-cis-adducts also show a similar mutational pattern with a more even mixture of G --> T, G --> A, and G --> C mutations. Each of these adducts has an adduct bond and three hydroxyl groups at four consecutive saturated carbons in the B[a]P moiety of the adduct; the stereochemistry at these four positions differs in each of the adducts. The (+)-trans- and (-)-cis-adducts are a pair sharing the S configuration for the adduct bond, although they are a mirror image vis-a-vis the hydroxyl groups. The (-)-trans- and (+)-cis-adducts share the opposite adduct bond stereochemistry (R) but differ in the stereochemistry of their hydroxyl groups. Thus, there is a correlation suggesting that anti-B[a]P-N2-dG adduct mutagenesis is more dependent on the stereochemistry of the adduct bond than on the stereochemistry of the hydroxyl groups.

Minor groove-directed and intercalative ligand-DNA interactions in the poisoning of human DNA topoisomerase I by protoberberine analogs

Spectroscopic, calorimetric, DNA cleavage, electrophoretic, and computer modeling techniques have been employed to characterize the DNA binding and topoisomerase poisoning properties of three protoberberine analogs, 8-desmethylcoralyne (DMC), 5,6-dihydro-8-desmethylcoralyne (DHDMC), and palmatine, which differ in the chemical structures of their B- and/or D-rings. DNA topoisomerase-mediated cleavage assays revealed that these compounds were unable to poison mammalian type II topoisomerase. By contrast, the three protoberberine analogs poisoned human topoisomerase I according to the following hierarchy: DHDMC > DMC > palmatine. DNA binding by all three protoberberine analogs induced negative flow linear dichroism signals as well as unwinding of the host duplex. These two observations are consistent with an intercalative mode of protoberberine binding to duplex DNA. However, a comparison of the DNA binding properties for DMC and DHDMC, which differ only by the state of saturation at the 5,6 positions of the B-ring, revealed that the protoberberine analogs do not "behave" like classic DNA intercalators. Specifically, saturation of the 5-6 double bond in the B-ring of DMC, thereby converting it to the DHDMC molecule, was associated with enhanced DNA unwinding as well as a reversal of DNA binding preference from a DNA duplex with an inaccessible or occluded minor groove {poly[d(G-C)]2} to DNA duplexes with accessible or unobstructed minor grooves {poly[d(A-T)]2 and poly[d(I-C)]2}. In addition, a comparison of the DNA binding properties for DHDMC and palmatine revealed that transferring the 11-methoxy moiety on the D-ring of DHDMC to the 9 position, thereby converting it to palmatine, was associated with a reduction in binding affinity for both duplexes with unobstructed minor grooves as well as for duplexes with occluded minor grooves. These DNA binding properties are consistent with a "mixed-mode" DNA binding model for protoberberines in which a portion of the ligand molecule intercalates into the double helix, while the nonintercalated portion of the ligand molecule protrudes into the minor groove of the host duplex, where it is thereby available for interactions with atoms lining the floor and/or walls of the minor groove. Furthermore, saturation at the 5,6 positions of the B-ring, which causes the A-ring to be tilted relative to the plane formed by rings C and D, appears to stabilize the interaction between the host duplex and the minor groove-directed portion of the protoberberine ligand. Computer modeling studies on the DHDMC-poly[d(A-T)]2 complex suggest that this interaction may involve van der Waals contacts between the ligand A-ring and backbone sugar atoms lining the minor groove of the host duplex. The hierarchy of topoisomerase I poisoning noted above suggests that this minor groove-directed interaction may play an important role in topoisomerase I poisoning by protoberberine analogs. In the aggregate, our results presented here, coupled with the recent demonstration of topoisomerase I poisoning by minor groove-binding terbenzimidazoles [Sun, Q., Gatto, B., Yu, C., Liu, A. , Liu, L. F., & LaVoie, E. J. (1995) J. Med. Chem. 38, 3638-3644], suggest that minor groove-directed ligand-DNA interactions may be of general importance in the poisoning of topoisomerase I.

Development of a monoclonal antibody recognizing benzo[c]phenanthrenediol epoxide-DNA adducts: application to immunohistochemical detection of DNA damage

A monoclonal antibody was developed against (+/-)-anti-benzo[c]phenanthrenediol epoxidemodified DNA, and sensitivity and specificity were determined by competitive enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA). Antibody 10F9 has 50% inhibition in the ELISA at 50 fmol of B[c]PhDE-DNA adducts. There was weak cross-reactivity with DNA modified by (+/-)-anti-benzo[a]pyrenediol epoxide (50% inhibition at 150 pmol). Testing of oligonucleotides containing either (+)- or (-)-trans-anti-B[c]PhDE-adenine adducts indicated similar recognition of both stereoisomers. A quantitative immunoperoxidase technique with antibody 10F9 was developed using 10T1/2 cells treated with B[c]PhDE then piloted on exfoliated oral cells from five smokers and five nonsmokers. Mean staining in smokers (184 +/- 11) was 1.64-fold higher than in nonsmokers (112 +/- 9, p < 0.0001). This antibody should be useful for the detection and quantitation of B[c]PhDE-DNA adducts in cell culture and animal studies and in humans with environmental or occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

The major, N2-dG adduct of (+)-anti-B[a]PDE shows a dramatically different mutagenic specificity (predominantly, G --> A) in a 5'-CGT-3' sequence context

Mutations induced by the (+)-anti diol epoxide of benzo[a]pyrene [(+)-anti-B[a]PDE] were described previously in the supF gene of the Escherichia coli plasmid pUB3 [Rodriguez et al.(1993) Biochemistry, 32, 1759]. (+)-anti-B[a]PDE induced a complex pattern of mutations, including insertions, deletions, frameshifts, as well as base substitution mutations, which for G:C base pairs alone included a significant fraction of G:C --> T:A, A:T and C:G mutations. A variety of results suggest that most of these mutations arise from the major adduct ([+ta]-B[a]P-N2-dG), raising the question how can a single adduct induce different kinds of mutations? Our working hypothesis in this regard is that (1) an adduct can adopt multiple conformations; (2) different conformations cause different mutations; and (3) adduct conformation is controlled by various factors, such as DNA sequence context. To investigate what conformation is associated with what mutation, it is essential to find examples where [+ta]-B[a]P-N2-dG induces principally one kind of mutation as a prelude to the study in that same context of the conformation(s) potentially relevant to mutagenesis. Earlier work indicated that (+)-anti-B[a]PDE gave a preponderance of G --> A mutations in a 5'-CGT-3 sequence context, and herein it is shown that these mutations are likely to be attributable to the major adduct, since in this same sequence context [+ta]-B[a]P-N2-dG studied site specifically also induces principally G --> A mutations ( approximately 82%). Previously, [+ta]-B[a]P-N2-dG was shown to induce principally G --> T mutations (approximately 97%) in a 5'-TGC-3' sequence context. Thus, by simply altering its surrounding sequence context this adduct can give a preponderance of either G --> A or G --> T mutations. This is the most dramatic change in base substitution mutagenic specificity for an adduct described to date and illustrates that the qualitative pattern of mutagenesis by a bulky adduct can be remarkably diverse.

Modulation of nucleic acid structure by ligand binding: induction of a DNA.RNA.DNA hybrid triplex by DAPI intercalation

The aromatic diamidine, DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole), is used as an important biological and cytological tool since it forms highly fluorescent complexes with nucleic acid duplexes via minor groove-directed/intercalative modes of interaction. In this study, we find that DAPI binding can induce the formation of an RNA-DNA hybrid triplex that would not otherwise form. More specifically, through application of a broad range of spectroscopic, viscometric, and molecular modeling techniques, we demonstrate that DAPI intercalation induces the formation of the poly(dT).poly(rA).poly(dT) hybrid triple helix, a structure which does not form in the absence of the ligand. Using UV mixing studies, we demonstrate that, in the presence of DAPI, the poly(rA).poly(dT) duplex and the poly(dT) single strand form a 1:1 complex (a triplex) that does not form in the absence of DAPI. Through temperature-dependent absorbance measurements, we show that the poly(dT).poly(rA).poly(dT) triplex melts via two distinct transitions: initial conversion of the triplex to the duplex state, with the DAPI remaining bound, followed by denaturation of the duplex-DAPI complex to its component single strands and free DAPI. Using optical melting profiles, we show that DAPI binding enhances the thermal stability of the poly(dT).poly(rA).poly(dT) triplex, an observation consistent with the preferential binding of the ligand to the triplex versus the duplex and single-stranded states. Our differential scanning calorimetric measurements reveal melting of the DAPI-saturated poly(dT).poly(rA).poly(dT) triplex to be associated with a lower enthalpy but greater cooperativity than melting of the corresponding DAPI-saturated poly(rA).poly(dT) duplex. Our flow linear dichroism and viscometric data are consistent with an intercalative mode of binding when DAPI interacts with both the poly(dT).poly(rA).poly(dT) triplex and the poly(rA).poly(dT) duplex. Finally, computer modeling studies suggest that a combination of both stacking and electrostatic interactions between the intercalated ligand and the host nucleic acid play important roles in the DAPI-induced stabilization of the poly(dT).poly(rA).poly(dT) triplex. In the aggregate, our results demonstrate that ligand binding can be used to induce the formation of triplex structures that do not form in the absence of the ligand. This triplex-inducing capacity has potentially important implications in the design of novel antisense, antigene, antiviral, and diagnostic strategies.

Sequence specific mutagenesis of the major (+)-anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide-DNA adduct at a mutational hot spot in vitro and in Escherichia coli cells

In the supF gene, most (+)-anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide ((+)-anti-B[a]PDE) mutagenesis hot spots in Escherichia coli are in 5'-GG sequences [Rodriguez and Loechler (1993) Carcinogenesis 14, 373-383]. A major hot spot was detected at G1 in the sequence 5'-GCG1G2-CCAAAG, whereas G2 yielded very few mutants. In order to investigate the details of such sequence context effects of (+)-anti-B[a]PDE mutagenesis, we have constructed 25-mer oligonucleotides and single-stranded M13 genomes containing the above decamer sequence, in which the trans-N2-dG adduct induced by (+)-anti-B[a]PDE [(+)-trans-anti-B[a]P-N2-dG] at G1 or G2 was introduced. In vitro DNA synthesis on the adducted 25-mers was strongly blocked at each site, although the 3'-->5' exonuclease-deficient Klenow fragment could incorporate a nucleotide opposite the adduct in the presence of Mn2+. For both sites purine nucleotides were preferred. The ratio Vmax/K(m) indicated that the efficiency of incorporation of dGTP opposite these sites was very similar, but dATP incorporation opposite the adduct at G1 was five-fold more efficient than that at G2. For each site, further extension beyond the adducted nucleotide was investigated by annealing four different primers, in which only the nucleotide opposite the adducted deoxyguanosine was altered. Significant extension was only observed when deoxyadenosine was located opposite adducted G1. When the M13 genomes containing the (+)-trans-anti-B[a]P-N2-dG were replicated in E. coli, survival of each adducted genome was less than 1% as compared to the unadducted genome. Upon induction of SOS, viability increased 2-6-fold. DNA sequencing showed no base substitutions in the progeny from SOS-uninduced cells, although small deletions in a quasipalindromic sequence occurred with the adduct being located at either site. However, following SOS induction, up to 40% targeted base substitutions were detected when the adduct was located at G1, while approximately 12% of the progeny were mutants with the adduct at G2. Most base substitutions were targeted G-->T transversions. We conclude that (+)-trans-anti-B[a]P-N2-dG is a highly mutagenic and replication blocking lesion. In addition, the biological consequence of this adduct depends on whether it is located at G1 or G2, suggesting that sequence context plays a major role in the mutagenic processing of this adduct.

Formation of DNA repair intermediates and incision by the ATP-dependent UvrB-UvrC endonuclease

The Escherichia coli UvrB and UvrC proteins play key roles in DNA damage processing and incisions during nucleotide excision repair. To study the DNA structural requirements and protein-DNA intermediates formed during these processes, benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide-damaged and structure-specific 50-base pair substrates were constructed. DNA fragments containing a preexisting 3' incision were rapidly and efficiently incised 5' to the adduct. Gel mobility shift assays indicated that this substrate supported UvrA dissociation from the UvrB-DNA complex, which led to efficient incision. Experiments with a DNA fragment containing an internal noncomplementary 11-base region surrounding the benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide adduct indicated that UvrABC nuclease does not require fully duplexed DNA for binding and incision. In the absence of UvrA, UvrB (UvrC) bound to an 11-base noncomplementary region containing a 3' nick (Y substrate), forming a stable protein-DNA complex (Kd approximately 5-10 nM). Formation of this complex was absolutely dependent upon UvrC. Addition to this complex of ATP, but not adenosine 5'-(beta,gamma-iminotriphosphate) or adenosine 5'-(beta, gamma-methylene)triphosphate, caused incision three or four nucleotides 5' to the double strand-single strand junction. The ATPase activity of native UvrB is activated upon interaction with UvrC and enhanced further by the addition of Y substrate. Incision of this Y structure occurs even without DNA damage. Thus the UvrBC complex is a structure-specific, ATP-dependent endonuclease.

Incorrect base insertion and prematurely terminated transcripts during T7 RNA polymerase transcription elongation past benzo[a]pyrenediol epoxide-modified DNA

DNA replication and transcription are affected adversely by the presence of bulky adducts that are generated by the covalent binding of a variety of metabolically activated environmental pollutants to cellular DNA. When these lesions are not cleared by cellular repair enzymes prior to replication, mutations and ultimately tumor initiation can occur. Transcription and DNA repair appear to be intimately connected, since certain adducts are more efficiently removed from the transcribed strands of active loci than from non-transcribed strands and other quiescent domains in the genome. The mechanism by which RNA polymerases deal with bulky adducts during DNA transcription is therefore of great interest. The availability of site-specifically modified and stereochemically defined oligodeoxyribonucleotides derived from the covalent reaction of 7r, 8t-dihydroxy-9, 10t-epoxy- 7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (anti-BPDE) with guanine residues prompted us to study the efficiencies of transcription past these lesions using bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase. We show here that T7 RNA polymerase can bypass such lesions in a DNA template, providing that a cytosine residue is incorporated opposite anti-BPDE-modified guanine. However, when an incorrect base (most frequently a purine) is inserted opposite the modified site, the RNA polymerase stalls, and the complex dissociates, resulting in a truncated transcript. The ability of the T7 RNA polymerase to discriminate between a correct and an incorrect inserted base and, accordingly, to continue or terminate transcription, might constitute an important mechanism that ensures the fidelity of transcription past a modified base present on the transcribed strand of the DNA template.

Site-specific adducts derived from the binding of anti-5-methylchrysene diol epoxide enantiomers to DNA: synthesis and characteristics

The direct synthesis and characterization of site-specific adducts derived from the binding of (+)-1R,2S-dihydroxy-3S,4R-epoxide-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-5-methylchrysene and the (-)-1S,2R,3R,4S-enantiomer [(+)- and (-)-5-MeCDE, respectively], to the N2-guanine residues in the oligonucleotide d(CCATCGCTACC) are described. The spectroscopic characteristics of the 5-MeCDE-modified oligonucleotides are discussed, and it is shown that their CD characteristics can be used to distinguish between the trans-addition products of the binding of the (+)- and (-)-enantiomers of 5-MeCDE (C4 position). The 11-mer duplexes with the normal complementary strands are destabilized by the site-specific, covalently bound 5-MeCDE residues: the melting points, Tm, are 5-10 degrees lower than in the case of the unmodified duplex. Stereoselective exonuclease enzyme digestion patterns of the single-stranded (+)- and (-)-trans-5-MeCDE-modified oligonucleotides (Mao et al, 1993, Biochemistry, 32, 11785-11793) were used to probe the orientations of the covalently bound 5-MeCDE residues relative to the modified guanine and the 5'-3' strand polarity; the aromatic residues are positioned either on the 5'-side [(+)-5-MeCDE], or the 3'-side [(-)-5-MeCDE adduct] of the modified guanine residues. The electrophoretic mobilities of the (+)-5-MeCDE-modified 11-mer duplexes in native polyacrylamide gels are slower than those of unmodified and modified duplexes containing the stereoisomeric (-)-5-MeCDE-N2-dG lesions. This indicates that the lesions derived from the tumorigenic (+)-5-MeCDE induce greater degrees of bending or local flexibility than the non-tumorigenic (-)-5- MeCDE enantiomer. These differences in the orientational and structural characteristics are similar to those observed with analogous DNA adducts derived from the tumorigenic (+)-7R,8S-dihydroxy-9S,10R-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene and the non-tumorigenic 7S,8R,9R,10S-enantiomer, respectively. The adducts derived from BPDE and 5-MeCDE enantiomers thus display similar characteristics that depend primarily on the PAH diol epoxide enantiomer stereochemistry. This direct synthesis approach can be used to generate milligram quantities of site-specific 5-MeCDE-modified oligonucleotides that are suitable for NMR studies (Cosman, et al., 1995, Biochemistry, 34, 6247-6260).

Solution conformation of the (-)-cis-anti-benzo[a]pyrenyl-dG adduct opposite dC in a DNA duplex: intercalation of the covalently attached BP ring into the helix with base displacement of the modified deoxyguanosine into the major groove

This paper reports on the combined NMR-molecular mechanics computational studies of the solution structure of the (-)-cis-anti-[BP]dG adduct positioned opposite dC in the sequence context d(C1- C2-A3-T4-C5-[BP]G6-C7-T8-A9-C10-C11).d(G12-G13-T14- A15-G16-C17-G18-A19-T20- G21-G22) duplex [designated (-)-cis-anti-[BP]dG.dC 11-mer duplex]. This adduct is derived from cis addition at C10 of (-)-anti-7(S),8(R)-dihydroxy-9(R),10(S)-epoxy-7,8,9,10- tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene [(-)-anti-BPDE] to the N2 position of dG6 in this duplex sequence. The exchangeable and nonexchangeable protons of the benzo[a]pyrenyl moiety and nucleic acid of the major conformation were assigned following analysis of two-dimensional NMR data sets in H2O and D2O solution. There was a general broadening of proton resonances for a three-nucleotide segment centered about the lesion site which resulted in a tentative assignment for the sugar protons of the C7 residue in the spectrum of the adduct duplex. The solution conformation of the major conformation of the (-)-cis-anti-[BP]dG.dC 11-mer duplex has been determined by incorporating DNA-DNA and intermolecular BP-DNA proton-proton distances defined by lower and upper bounds deduced from NOESY data sets as restraints in molecular mechanics computations in torsion angle space. The results establish that the covalently attached benzo[a]pyrenyl ring intercalates between intact Watson-Crick dC5.dG18 and dC7.dG16 base pairs. The modified deoxyguanosine [BP]-dG6 and its partner cytosine dC17 are looped out of the helix into the major groove. The purine ring of the [BP]dG6 residue is directed toward the 5'-end of the modified strand and stacks over the major groove edge of its 5'-side neighbor dC5 residue. The solution structure of the (-)-cis-anti-[BP]dG.dC 11-mer duplex is compared with those of the stereoisomeric (+)-trans-anti-[BP]dG [Cosman, M., et al. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89, 1914-1918], (-)-trans-anti-[BP]dG [de los Santos, C., et al. (1992) Biochemistry 31, 5245-5252], and (+)-cis-anti-[BP]dG [Cosman, M., et al. (1993a) Biochemistry 32, 4146-4155] adducts positioned opposite dC in the same duplex sequence context. A key finding is that the long axes of the intercalated benzo[a]pyrenyl rings in the solution structures of the (+)- and (-)- cis-anti-[BP]dG.dC 11-mer duplexes are oriented in opposite directions with the benzylic ring directed toward the minor groove in the (+)-cis isomer and toward the major groove in the (-)-cis isomer. In addition, a comparison is also made with the solution structure of the (+)-trans-anti-[BP]dG adduct opposite a deletion site [Cosman, M., et al. (1994a) Biochemistry 33, 11507-11517] since this adduct duplex displays several conformational features in common with the structure of the (-)-cis-anti-[BP]dG.dC 11-mer duplex. The structures of both duplex adducts exhibit intercalation of the covalently attached ligand into the helix and displacement of the modified deoxyguanosine into the major groove. Studies of the biological activities of stereochemically defined BP-DNA adducts and the comparison of the solution structure of the (-)-cis-anti-[BP]dG.dC 11-mer duplex with its stereoisomeric counterparts should lead to new insights into the relationships between defined helical distortions and mutagenic specificity and activity.