title: Free radicals from polycrystalline pyrimidines and purines upon heavy ion bombardment at low temperatures: an electron spin resonance study.
abstract: The formation of free radicals in polycrystalline samples of the DNA constituents thymine, cytosine, and adenosine after bombardment with heavy ions at about 100 K was investigated by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. Spectra were observed at 77 K after irradiation at 100 K, upon annealing to 300 K and after storage at 300 K. Individual radical patterns were isolated from the spectra by computer manipulation and assigned to structures by powder-simulations based on literature data. The spectra of thymine contain an allyl radical, the octet pattern of the 5-thymyl radical and contributions of the 6-yl radical formed by net hydrogen gain at carbon C5. The latter species is also present in cytosine which in addition displays the pattern due to H-addition at the carboxyl oxygen C2. Adenosine exhibits two H-addition radicals, one at C2, the other at C8. Additionally, the spectra of all DNA subunits studied contain as a radical component a Gaussian singlet of about 0.9 mT line width. The spectra obtained at low temperature already contain the secondary radicals but exhibit a large linewidth. This feature is attributed to dipolar coupling caused by radicals in close proximity.
authors.affiliation: Fachrichtung Biophysik und Phys. Grundlagen der Medizin, Universität des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hüttermann
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kraft
mesh_terms: D000241:Adenosine / Q000528:radiation effects*; D003596:Cytosine / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D005609:Free Radicals; D005615:Freezing; D010315:Particle Accelerators; D013941:Thymine / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: D005609:Free Radicals; D003596:Cytosine; D000241:Adenosine; D013941:Thymine