title: Formation of cyclobutane thymine dimers photosensitized by pyridopsoralens: a triplet-triplet energy transfer mechanism.
abstract: The 365 nm irradiation of thymine thin films in the presence of pyridopsoralens is shown to induce the formation of cyclobutane thymine dimers, in contrast to other compounds such as 8- and 5-methoxypsoralen. In order to elucidate the mechanism of such a photosensitized reaction, we have determined the energy of the lowest triplet state (T1) of these compounds, using phosphorescence spectroscopy and CNDO/S quantum chemistry calculations. The T1 energy values were found to be significantly higher for pyridopsoralens--up to 0.3 eV--than for 8- and 5-methoxypsoralen (approximately 2.8 eV), which are not able to photoinduce cyclobutane thymine dimers. The determination of the relative efficiency of cyclobutane thymine dimer formation was performed using chromatographic analysis. A good correlation was found between the energy of the T1 state of the psoralen derivatives and the related cyclobutane thymine dimer formation. Moreover, the photosensitized cyclobutane thymine dimer formation appeared to be temperature-dependent. Our results are consistent with a mechanism involving a triplet energy transfer from the pyridopsoralen to thymine.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie Biomoléculaire (CNRS UA 198), Institut Curie, Paris, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Costalat
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blais
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ballini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moysan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cadet
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Chalvet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vigny
mesh_terms: D004735:Energy Transfer; D011564:Furocoumarins; D011740:Pyrimidine Dimers; D011743:Pyrimidines; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013941:Thymine / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D011564:Furocoumarins; D011740:Pyrimidine Dimers; D011743:Pyrimidines; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D013941:Thymine