title: Photosensitized cleavage and cross-linking of pBR322 DNA with khellin and visnagin.
abstract: The naturally occurring furanochromones khellin and visnagin have received considerable attention, largely because of their vasodilatory properties and of their ability (particularly that of khellin) to induce skin pigmentation upon ultraviolet light treatment of patients suffering from vitiligo. There are conflicting statements in the literature on whether or not they are capable of cross-linking DNA photochemically. Supercoiled and linear pBR322 DNA was used to probe this reaction. The results showed that both khellin and, to a greater extent, visnagin photosensitized DNA cross-linking. In addition, both photosensitizers induced extensive DNA cleavage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago 60607-7061.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kagan
mesh_terms: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D004249:DNA Damage; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*; D015246:Deoxyribonuclease EcoRI / Q000378:metabolism; D007666:Khellin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D007666:Khellin; D015246:Deoxyribonuclease EcoRI; C044999:visnagin; D010100:Oxygen