title: Low energy electron-induced reactions in gas phase 1,2,3,5-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-ribofuranose: a model system for the behavior of sugar in DNA.
abstract: Dissociative electron attachment to 1,2,3,5-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-ribofuranose (TAR) is studied in a crossed electron-molecular beam experiment with mass spectrometric detection of the observed fragment ions. Since in TAR acetyl groups are coupled at the relevant positions to the five membered ribose ring, it may serve as an appropriate model compound to study the response of the sugar unit in DNA towards low energy electrons. Intense resonances close to 0 eV are observed similar to the pure gas phase sugars (2-deoxyribose, ribose, and fructose). Further strong resonances appear in the range of 1.6-1.8 eV (not present in the pure sugars). Based on calculations on transient anions adopting the stabilization method, this feature is assigned to a series of closely spaced shape resonances of pi* character with the extra electron localized on the acetyl groups outside the ribose ring system. Further but weaker resonant contributions are observed in the range of 7-11 eV, representing core excited resonances and/or sigma* shape resonances. The decomposition processes involve single bond ruptures but also more complex reactions associated with substantial rearrangement. The authors hence propose that the sugar unit in DNA plays an active role in the molecular mechanism towards single strand breaks induced by low energy electrons.
authors.affiliation: Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie, Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustasse 3, D-14195 Berlin, Germany. ibald@zedat.fu-berlin.de
authors.forename: Ilko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bald
authors.forename: Janina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kopyra
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dabkowska
authors.forename: Egill
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Antonsson
authors.forename: Eugen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Illenberger
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004249:DNA Damage; D003855:Deoxyribose / Q000737:chemistry*; D004583:Electrons; D005663:Furans / Q000737:chemistry*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008958:Models, Molecular; D012263:Ribonucleosides / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005663:Furans; D012263:Ribonucleosides; D003855:Deoxyribose; D004247:DNA