title: Reactions of propylene oxide with 2'-deoxynucleosides and in vitro with calf thymus DNA.
abstract: Propylene oxide (PO) is a direct-acting mutagen and rodent carcinogen. We have studied how PO modifies 2'-deoxynucleosides at pH 7.0-7.5 and 37 degrees C for 10 h. PO reacts as an SN2 alkylating agent by forming the following 2-hydroxypropyl (HP) adducts: N6-HP-dAdo (7% yield), 7-HP-Gua (37%) and 3-HP-dThd (4%). Alkylation at N-3 of dCyd resulted in conversion of the adjacent exocyclic imino group at C-4 to an oxygen (hydrolytic deamination) with the formation of a dUrd adduct, 3-HP-dUrd (14%). Ultraviolet spectroscopy and mass spectrometry were used for the structural determination of these adducts. Confirmation of the unexpected 3-HP-dUrd adduct was provided by an accurate mass measurement technique where diagnostic ions in the mass spectra of 3-HP-dUrd were measured to within 0.0005 atomic mass units of the predicted mass. PO was reacted in vitro with calf thymus DNA (pH 7.0-7.5, 37 degrees C, 10 h) and yielded N6-HP-dAdo (1 nmol/mg DNA), 3-HP-Ade (14 nmol/mg DNA), 7-HP-Gua (133 nmol/mg DNA) and 3-HP-dUrd (13 nmol/mg DNA). A mechanism for the hydrolytic deamination of 3-HP-dCyd to 3-HP-dUrd involving the OH on the HP side chain is proposed. This cytosine to uracil conversion may play a role in the mutagenic and carcinogenic activity of this epoxide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, NY 10016.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mukai
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fedyk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Segal
mesh_terms: D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002854:Chromatography, Paper; D004247:DNA; D004249:DNA Damage; D003853:Deoxyribonucleosides; D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D004988:Ethers, Cyclic; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: D003853:Deoxyribonucleosides; D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D004988:Ethers, Cyclic; D004247:DNA; C009068:propylene oxide