Synthesis and characterization of adducts derived from the syn-diastereomer of benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-dihydrodiol 9,10-epoxide and the 5'-d(CCTATAGATATCC) oligonucleotide.
5'-d(CCTATAGATATCC) was reacted with each syn-enantiomer of trans-7,8-dihydroxy 9,10-epoxy 7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (syn-BPDE). The (-)-enantiomer yielded one dominating adduct, whereas the (+)-enantiomer resulted in two major adducts. As indicated by optical spectroscopic methods, the major adduct derived from both (-)- and (+)-syn-BPDE involves cis addition of the C-10 position of the diol epoxide to the exocyclic amino group of deoxyguanosine [(-)-syn-BPDEc-N2-dG and (+)-syn-BPDEc-N2-dG, respectively], whereas the minor (+)-syn-BPDE adduct is identical to a trans adduct [(+)-syn-BPDEt-N2-dG]. The cis adducts as well as the (+)-syn-BPDEt-N2-dG adduct are chemically stable for several weeks when stored at < or = 4 degrees C in darkness. In duplexes composed of (-)-syn-BPDEc-N2-dG or (+)-syn-BPDEc-N2-dG modified 5'-d(CCTATAGATATCC) and the complement 5'-d(GGATATCTATAGG), the presence of an adduct, in particular the latter, substantially decreased the Tm value relative to the corresponding unmodified duplex. Addition of 5'-d(GGATATCTATAGG) or strands in which dC was replaced with dT, dG, or dA to (-)-syn-BPDEc-N2-dG modified 5'-d(CCTATAGATATCC) decreased the fluorescence intensity in all cases (25-45%). In similar experiments with the (+)-syn-BPDEc-N2-dG adduct, dC or dT opposite the adduct decreased the fluorescence intensity, whereas dA and dG caused an increase. With the (+)-syn-BPDEt-N2-dG adduct, duplex formation had no effect on the intensity with dC or dG opposite the adduct, while an increase could be noted with dT or dA. Acrylamide had no significant effect on the fluorescence intensity of duplexes with cis adducts in contrast to the marked quenching of the fluorescence of (+)-syn-BPDEt-N2-dG oligonucleotide duplexes. In single stranded form, both the cis adducts exhibited absorption and fluorescence excitation maxima at 352-353 nm while the (+)-syn-BPDEt-N2-dG adduct was around 350-351 nm. Addition of the complement or the sequence in which dA replaced dC to the (+)-syn-BPDEt-N2-dG adduct shifted the maxima to 347-349 nm, whereas addition of sequences containing dT or dG opposite the adduct affected the fluorescence maxima but had no effect on absorption maxima. Formation of duplexes with the cis adducts had no or very little effect on the absorption and fluorescence maxima. In conclusion, the results of this study imply an intercalative mode of interaction of the pyrenyl chromophores of the cis adducts and external localization of the (+)-syn-BPDEt-N2-dG adduct.