title: Activation of bis-electrophiles to mutagenic conjugates by human O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase.
abstract: O(6)-Alkylguanine DNA-alkyl transferase (AGT) has been shown to conjugate both 1,2-dibromoethane and dibromomethane, yielding AGT inactivation, DNA-AGT cross-linking, and enhanced mutagenicity. A variety of related chemicals were examined to determine if similar phenomena occur. Among the compounds examined in these systems (histidine operon reversion in Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium tester strains), a strong halide order was generally observed, with increasing activities in the order I > Br >> Cl. At least one Br atom appeared to be required for human AGT-dependent mutations, and compounds with only Cl did not inhibit AGT and were not activated to genotoxins. Of a series of haloforms tested (CHX(3), X = Br or Cl), all were without effect. Among a series of alpha,omega-disubstituted dihaloalkanes (Br or I), the inactivation of AGT increased with methylene chain length (at least up to n = 5) but the most mutagenic activity (AGT-dependent) was seen with n = 1-3. The effects with n = 1 or 2 were expected from previous results; the mutagenic effect with n = 3 and the reduction with n > 3 may represent a balance between AGT reaction, stability, and reactivity, in the absence of anchimeric assistance. A strong AGT-dependent mutation was observed for 1,3-butadiene diepoxide. We conclude that numerous bis-electrophiles show AGT-dependent activation to mutagenic conjugates. Haloforms and dichloroalkanes are therefore not an issue, but bromohaloalkanes and 1,3-butadiene diepoxide are potential problems. These observations are of relevance in considering toxicity and risks of some chemicals used in industrial applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Center in Molecular Toxicology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA.
authors.forename: J Gerardo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Valadez
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Natalia A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Loktionova
authors.forename: Anthony E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Pegg
authors.forename: F Peter
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Guengerich
mesh_terms: D001711:Biotransformation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D009154:Mutation; D019853:O(6)-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated; D009153:Mutagens; D019853:O(6)-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase