title: Bleomycin-metal interaction: ferrous iron-initiated chemiluminescence.
abstract: Chemiluminescence often accompanies the spontaneous degradation of intermediates in an electronically excited state. The interaction of iron with bleomycin results in the activation of bleomycin to a reactive intermediate which can alter DNA or undergo self-inactivation. This report demonstrates that the interaction of ferrous iron with bleomycin results in chemiluminescence, that this response is iron-specific and that the presence of DNA prevents the generation of chemiluminescence. These observations suggest that the activated bleomycin intermediate may be in an electronically excited state.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D003855:Deoxyribose / Q000378:metabolism; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D001761:Bleomycin; D003855:Deoxyribose; D004247:DNA; D007501:Iron