title: Nitro-tyrosine as promoter of free radical damage in a DNA model system.
abstract: Nitro-tyrosine considerably promotes the degradation of DNA, when incubated with Cu2+ and ascorbate in oxygenated aqueous solution. This deleterious process requires oxygen and can be inhibited with catalase, indicating that H2O2 is involved, via the reduction of oxygen. Menadione and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonate, known to catalyze particularly fast such reduction of oxygen, were only slightly more active than nitro-tyrosine. Degradation of DNA can be explained by a site-specific Fenton type reaction of H2O2 with the DNA-Cu+ complex, DNA-Cu+ + H2O2----DNA...OH + Cu2+ + OH- Copper-chelating agents (EDTA and penicillamine) prevent DNA degradation, whereas .OH-scavengers (t-butanol) are ineffective. The deleterious activity of nitro-tyrosine (and of other nitroaromatics) in the DNA model system may indicate important toxicological implications, since aromatic nitration is a significant mode of action of nitrogen dioxide.
mesh_terms: D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D002413:Cations, Divalent; D003300:Copper; D004249:DNA Damage; D005609:Free Radicals; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
chemical_list: D002413:Cations, Divalent; D005609:Free Radicals; C002744:3-nitrotyrosine; D014443:Tyrosine; D003300:Copper; D001205:Ascorbic Acid