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PubMed1994

The Escherichia coli AlkB protein protects human cells against alkylation-induced toxicity.

Escherichia coli can ameliorate the toxic effects of alkylating agents either by preventing DNA alkylation or by repairing DNA alkylation damage. The alkylation-sensitive phenotype of E. coli alkB mutants marks the alkB pathway as an extremely effective defense mechanism against the cytotoxic effects of the SN2, but not the SN1, alkylating agents. Although it is clear that AlkB helps cells to better handle alkylated DNA, no DNA alkylation repair function could be assigned to the purified AlkB protein, suggesting that AlkB either acts as part of a complex or acts to regulate the expression of other genes whose products are directly responsible for alkylation resistance. However, here we present evidence that the provision of alkylation resistance is an intrinsic function of the AlkB protein per se. We expressed the E. coli AlkB protein in two human cell lines and found that it confers the same characteristic alkylation-resistant phenotype in this foreign environment as it does in E. coli. AlkB expression rendered human cells extremely resistant to cell killing by the SN2 but not the SN1 alkylating agents but did not affect the ability of dimethyl sulfate (an SN2 agent) to alkylate the genome. We infer that SN2 agents produce a class of DNA damage that is not efficiently produced by SN1 agents and that AlkB somehow prevents this damage from killing the cell.

AlkB Homolog 1, Histone H2a Dioxygenase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Complementarily addressed alkylation of Escherichia coli ribosomal RNA in complexes with particular conformation].

Among the number of complementary complexes of 23S RNA with alkylating derivatives of complementary oligonucleotides ((Ap)3-5 ARCl, (Cp)5CRCl and (Np)5NRCl) some complexes of peculiar conformation are observed. The rate constant of alkylaation within the peculiar complexes is four fold greater than that within the rest complexes. The latter are alkylated via an active intermediate that is formed in the first rate determining step by two step alkylation. Both individual 23S RNAs and one in the rRNA mixture are alkylated in the peculiar complexes. But 16S RNA is alkylated only by the two step alkylation. There is a single binding site in the rRNA that is alkylated with the alkylating derivatives of the definite nucleotide sequence at the definite base. The reagments with different sequences can alkylate different bases. The alkylating derivatives of hexa-nucleotide isoplits that are complementary to rRNA alkylate up to 45 +/- 10 complexes simultaneously. The conformation of these complexes enables alkylation with the higher rate constant mentioned above.

Alkylation↗
PubMed1992

CD2 triggering stimulates the formation of platelet-activating factor-acether from alkyl-arachidonoyl-glycerophosphocholine in a human CD4+ T lymphocyte clone.

A human CD4+ T lymphocyte clone synthesized platelet-activating factor (PAF) acether when stimulated via the CD2 pathway. PAF-acether was characterized by biochemical and biophysical properties and precursor-product relationships (alkyl-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (GPC)----alkyl-lyso-GPC (lyso-PAF)----PAF-acether) were demonstrated. The clone contained substantial amounts of alkyl-acyl-GPC. i) Hydrolysis of alkyl-acyl-GPC upon CD2 stimulation was evidenced: [3H]alkyl-lyso-GPC was formed from [3H]alkyl-acyl-GPC in [3H] alkyl-labeled cells; alkyl-lyso-GPC production was also bioassayed after CD2 triggering. ii) The rate of arachidonate transfer from diacyl-GPC to alkyl-acyl-GPC increased after CD2 stimulation of the [3H]arachidonate-labeled P28D T cells, demonstrating alkyl-lyso-GPC formation. iii) Comparison of the molecular species of the produced PAF-acether with those of arachidonate-containing alkyl-acyl-GPC raises the possibility that the produced PAF-acether is related to alkyl-arachidonoyl-GPC.

Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte↗
PubMed2003

The effect of oxidation or alkylation on the separation of wool keratin proteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

Comparative two-dimensional electrophoretic (2-DE) studies were performed over a time-course to examine the effect of oxidation or alkylation on the separation of wool keratin proteins. The effect of oxidation was followed by treating scoured wool fibres with increasing levels of hydrogen peroxide, ranging from 0-12 g/L, using conditions mimicking the industrial wool bleaching process. Peroxide treatment was found to have only a minor effect on the 2-DE separation of the intermediate filament protein (IFP) class. Conversely, peroxide treatment of the 24-28 kDa high sulphur protein (HSP) class, which contains up to 40 cysteine residues per protein, resulted in the gradual disappearance of the major HSP spots correlated with the appearance of a few discrete spots at lower isoelectric point (pI). This suggested that only a few specific cysteine residues were being oxidized to cysteic acid by treatment with hydrogen peroxide. Peroxide treatment also appeared to have affected a discrete number of cysteine residues among proteins in the high glycine-tyrosine protein (HGTP) class, reducing the intensity of the high pI spots, while correspondingly increasing the intensity of those at lower pI. In a separate study, wool proteins were alkylated with iodoacetamide (1 M, pH 8) for periods ranging from 10 min to 48 h. In contrast to treatment with peroxide, the pI values of the HSP spots were unaffected by alkylation, irrespective of the length of this treatment. Alkylation resulted in a shift to lower pI and a loss of resolution of individual spots in the Type I and II IFP trains, to the extent that after 24 h alkylation individual spots in these trains merged. In addition after 1 h the intensity of the high pI Type II IFPs decreased until they were no longer visible on the 2-DE map after 24 h. Similarly as alkylation time increased, the major, high pI HGTP spots decreased in intensity. In unison with their decrease, some of the lower pI spots increased in intensity, while new spots appeared at more acidic pIs. Mass spectral studies indicated that cysteine alkylation was relatively fast, with 70-95% of the cysteines in the keratin proteins being alkylated within the first 10 min, while in the case of the HGTPs there was evidence for noncysteine alkylation occurring within this period. Alkylation of proteins for periods of up to 6 h prior to electrofocusing is being promoted as a better alternative to the current 2-DE protocol of the inclusion of a reductant in the immobilized pH gradient rehydration solution. This study has clearly demonstrated that long alkylation times do not suit all protein types or classes.

Alkylating Agents↗
PubMed2003

Sequence specificity of DNA alkylation by the antitumor natural product leinamycin.

Reaction with thiol converts the antitumor natural product leinamycin to an episulfonium ion that alkylates the N(7)-position of guanine residues in double-stranded DNA. The sequence specificity for DNA alkylation by this structurally novel compound has not previously been examined. It is reported here that leinamycin shows significant (>10-fold) preferences for alkylation at the 5'-G in 5'-GG and 5'-GT sequences. The sequence preferences for activated leinamycin are significantly different from that observed for the structurally simple episulfonium ion generated from 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide. DNA alkylation by activated leinamycin is inhibited by addition of salt (100 mM NaClO(4)), although the degree of inhibition is somewhat less than that seen for 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide. This result suggests that electrostatic interactions between the activated leinamycin and the N(7)-position of guanine residues facilitate efficient DNA alkylation. However, the observed sequence preferences for DNA alkylation by activated leinamycin do not correlate strongly with calculated sequence-dependent variations in the molecular electrostatic potential at the N(7)-atom of guanine residues in duplex DNA. Thus, electrostatic interactions between activated leinamycin and DNA do not appear to be the primary determinant for sequence specificity. Rather, the results suggest that sequence-specific noncovalent interactions of leinamycin with the DNA double helix on the 3'-side of the alkylated guanine residue play a major role in determining the preferred alkylation sites. Consistent with the notion that noncovalent binding plays an important role in DNA alkylation by leinamycin, experiments with 2'-deoxyoligonucleotide substrates confirm that the natural product does not alkylate single-stranded DNA under conditions where duplex DNA is efficiently alkylated.

Alkylation↗
PubMed1987

Antitumour imidazotetrazines--XVI. Macromolecular alkylation by 3-substituted imidazotetrazinones.

The extent of macromolecular alkylation by three imidazotetrazinones, 8-carbamoyl-3-(2-chloroethyl)imidazo[5,1-d]-1,2,3,5-tetrazin-4-(3H )-one (mitozolomide) and the 3-methyl CCRG 81045) and 3-ethyl (CCRG 82019) analogues has been studied both in intact cells and with isolated DNA, RNA and protein. Towards isolated DNA and RNA CCRG 81045 was about twice as reactive as mitozolomide and 5-10-fold more reactive than CCRG 82019. Two cell lines were chosen to study macromolecular alkylation, GM892A and Raji, the latter being 10-20-fold less sensitive to mitozolomide and CCRG 81045 than the former, but only one-and-a-half-fold less sensitive to CCRG 82019. Drug uptake into both cell lines was shown to be by a rapid diffusion process with a cell medium distribution ratio not far from unity. For all three agents intracellular radioactivity became associated with macromolecules, and the level found at any time is a balance between the rate of alkylation and the rate of alkyl group removal by repair processes. Both CCRG 81045 and CCRG 82019 produced approximately the same level of alkyl groups bound to DNA, RNA and protein over a 24-hr period, whereas mitozolomide produced a greater extent of alkylation. All three agents left more alkyl groups bound to DNA and RNA in GM892A than in Raji cells, but there was no difference in the level of alkyl groups remaining bound to proteins. However, in GM892A cells the overall level of alkylation of DNA by CCRG 81045 exceeded that of CCRG 82019 only after 24 hr of drug incubation despite the twenty-fold difference in potency of these agents. These results suggest that specific base alkylations rather than total macromolecular alkylation may be more important in determining relative cytotoxicity.

Alkylation↗
PubMed1996

Mutagenic damage to mammalian cells by therapeutic alkylating agents.

Cytotoxic alkylating agents used as therapeutics include nitrogen mustards, ethyleneimines, alkyl sulfonates, nitrosoureas and triazenes. Their reactivity with DNA, RNA and proteins can cause cell death. Side-effects of treatment include tissue toxicity and secondary malignancies, likely due to the genetic damage induced. The full mutagenic potential of alkylating agents may only be realised after they undergo metabolic activation, principally by cytochromes P450. Mutagenicity is related to the ability of alkylating agents to form crosslinks and/or transfer an alkyl group to form monoadducts in DNA. The most frequent location of adducts in the DNA is at guanines. Expressed mutations involve different base substitutions, including all types of transitions and transversions. The mutational spectra of alkylating agents on mammalian cells is distinct from that induced in bacterial cells, reflecting the different codon usage by bacteria and differences in DNA repair and replication enzymes. Mutations are induced by busulfan, chlorambucil (CAB), cyclophosphamide (CP, or its metabolite), dacarbazine, mechlorethamine, melphalan, mitomycin-C (MMC), nitrosoureas and thiotepa. Although dose-dependent, the relationship is not always linear. The molarities at which alkylating agents induce cell killing and mutations vary over three orders of magnitude. The mutagenic efficiency, of alkylating agents also varies, with some agents inducing three times more mutations for equivalent cell killing. The induction of micronuclei, sister chromatid exchanges, or chromosome aberrations is variable, but has been observed for CP, CAB, MMC, melphalan and triethylenemelamine. There is insufficient information to determine whether any synergistic effects of alkylating agents used in combination will influence the cytotoxic and mutagenic damage equally. Understanding the potential synergy of alkylating agents at the cellular and molecular level should allow improvement of the therapeutic efficacy of alkylating agents without increasing the unwanted mutation induction.

Alkylating Agents↗
PubMed1985

Alkylation of amide linkages and cleavage of the C chain in the enzyme-activated-substrate inhibition of alpha-chymotrypsin with N-nitrosamides.

Active-site-directed N-nitrosamides inhibit alpha-chymotrypsin through an enzyme-activated-substrate mechanism. In this work, the activation results in the release--in the active site--of benzyl carbonium ions, which alkylate and inhibit the enzyme. The final ratio of benzyl groups to enzyme molecules is 1.0, but the alkyl groups are scattered over a number of sites. Reduction and alkylation of the inhibited enzyme generate peptides insoluble in most media. Guanidine hydrochloride at 6 M proved a good solvent, and its use as an eluant on G-75 Sephadex permitted separation of the peptides. In the case of 14C-labeled enzyme, such an approach has shown that all of the alkylation occurs on the C chain of the enzyme, the chain of which the active site is constructed. Chemical modification of the peptides with ethylenediamine and N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]-N'-ethylcarbodiimide rendered them soluble in dilute acid, permitting high-performance liquid chromatographic separation. Model studies have shown that the benzyl carbonium ions are highly reactive, alkylating amide linkages at both oxygen and nitrogen. Alkylation at oxygen produces imidate esters, which are labile centers. Hydrolysis of protein imidates results in a cleavage of the chain at that point, and separation of the peptides formed (followed by analysis) permits their identification. In our inhibition of alpha-chymotrypsin, a major site of O-alkylation has been identified as the carbonyl oxygen of Ser-214. Alkylation at the nitrogen atom of amide linkages generates stable labels; full hydrolysis with 6 N HC1 then leads to N-benzyl amino acids characteristic of those sites. Chromatography of this mixture and also 13C NMR spectroscopy of the intact inhibited enzyme have shown that three major N-alkylations have occurred. Tryptic digestion of the C chain of chymotrypsin, which contains all of the alkylation sites, provides evidence that the stable N sites are principally located between residue 216 and residue 230. These locations are consistent with predictions of alkylation sites based on inspection of a molecular model of chymotrypsin, with special reference to the aromatic binding pocket.

Alkylation↗
PubMed2001

Design, synthesis, DNA binding, and biological evaluation of water-soluble hybrid molecules containing two pyrazole analogues of the alkylating cyclopropylpyrroloindole (CPI) subunit of the antitumor agent CC-1065 and polypyrrole minor groove binders.

We have synthesized and evaluated a series of hybrids, denoted 22--27, for in vitro cytotoxic activity against a variety of cancer cell lines. These hybrids represent a molecular combination of polypyrrole minor groove binders structurally related to the natural antitumor agent distamycin A and two pyrazole analogues of the left-hand segment called cyclopropylpyrroloindole (CPI) of the potent antitumor antibiotic (+)-CC-1065. These novel water-soluble hybrids have been designed to enhance the minor groove binding ability of alkylating units 20 and 21, which should increase their clinical appeal by overcoming the administration problems of (+)-CC-1065 derivatives. The DNA alkylating and cytotoxic activities against several tumor cell lines are reported and discussed in terms of their structural differences in relation to both the number of N-methyl pyrrole rings and the type of the alkylating unit tethered to the oligopeptidic frame. It may be noted that, in general, and especially for 22--24, the cytotoxicity of the hybrids was much greater than that of the alkylating units alone. In only one case, compound 27, did the hybrid have cytotoxic activity comparable to that of the alkylating unit alone against FM3A/0 cells. The broadest spectrum of activity and greatest potency was shown by the hybrid 24, in which the alkylating unit 20 and the deformyl distamycin A are tethered by 1-methyl 2,5-dicarbonyl pyrazole, with IC(50) values for the different tumor cell lines ranging from 7 to 71 nM. For compounds 22--24, the increase of the length of the pseudopeptidic moiety from one to three N-methylpyrrole residues led to an increased cytotoxicity. Among the hybrids tested for their inhibitory effects on the proliferation of murine L1210 leukemia cell line, compound 24 proved to be the most active (IC(50) = 7.4 nM), and in the sequencing gel experiments, it showed the strongest and most highly sequence-specific DNA alkylation activity. For compounds 22-24, the sequence specificity of DNA alkylation appears to be affected by the modification of the number of pyrrole rings, and the correlation between cytotoxicity and alkylation pattern suggests that 24 exerts its cytotoxicity through DNA sequence-specific alkylation of the third adenine located in the sequence 5'-ACAAAAATCG-3'. The two other hybrids 22 and 23 were slightly less active for tumor cell proliferation, with IC(50) values of 58 and 19 nM, respectively. With only one exception, none of the compounds was endowed with antiviral activity at subtoxic concentrations. Compound 24 inhibited the effect of vaccinia virus at a concentration that was significantly lower than its minimum cytotoxic concentration for the E(6)SM host cells. These compounds gave distinct patterns of alkylation in AT-rich sequences, indicating that minor structural changes produced marked alterations in sequence selectivity.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Alkylation of the O6 of guanine is only one of many chemical events that may initiate carcinogenesis.

The original hypothesis that chemical alteration of DNA can ultimately lead to carcinogenesis had been extended to a concept that the presence and persistence (lack of removal) of O6-alkyl G in an organ or cell population is the important requirement for tumorigenesis by alkylating agents. There are, however, many examples given in the text in which the organ specificity does not correlate with the amount of O6-alkyl G, and indeed, in some instances, no tumors result even though it can be shown that the DNA of many organs contains O6-alkyl G and that cell proliferation occurs. In some cases, there are clearly genetic factors. For example, the brain tumor incidence in two mouse strains differ but O6-alkyl G persistence is the same. Differing amounts or repair capability of O6-alkyl G in species, organs, or cells is not sufficient to explain variations in tumor incidence. Consideration must be given to other alkyl derivatives formed by alkylating carcinogens since at least six derivatives can lead to mispairing. Additionally, depurination has profound biological effects and evidence is emerging that bulky carcinogens such as aflatoxin and N-hydroxy-acetylaminofluorene cause rapid depurination (42). The role of phosphotriesters is as yet unknown. In attempting to come to a conclusion concerning the mode of tumor initiation by alkylating agents, we must not ignore the differences between alkyl groups. Dr. Pegg's paper focuses mainly on methylation, while my arguments stress ethylation. When the number of O6-methylguanines greatly exceeds that of O-methyl-pyrimidines, the former is more likely to be the initiating event. However, ethylation is generally more carcinogenic than methylation, if one considers that much less total alkylation is necessary for tumor development. The O-ethylpyrimidines produced by N-nitroso ethylating agents are more numerous than the O6-ethylguanines and they appear to be more persistent; that is, poorly repaired. Table 3 in Dr. Pegg's paper gives strong support to the potential initiation efficiency of the O4-ethylthymine and perhaps even to the idea that some yet-unidentified event is responsible for the carcinogenicity of diethylnitrosamine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Alkylating Agents↗
PubMed1986

Induction of plasminogen activator by alkylating agents in a repair defective human glioblastoma cell strain.

Alkylating agents, mechlorethamine and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, induce the production of plasminogen activator in U-87MG cells, an alkylation DNA repair deficient (Mer-) human glioblastoma strain. Enzyme induction was not observed, however, in U-178MG and SH-101 cells, alkylation repair proficient (Mer+) glioblastoma strains, or in HeLa cells, which reactivated and supported well the growth of alkylation damaged adenovirus 3. In the alkylation repair defective U-87MG strain, enhanced production of plasminogen activator occurred in a narrow concentration range of treatment with either alkylating agent, causing a 20 to 50% inhibition of [3H]thymidine incorporation. Maximum plasminogen activator induction was observed between 32 and 48 h after alkylation treatment and the levels of enzyme produced were 5 to 10 times those of untreated control levels. This alkylation dependent enzyme induction required protein synthesis for it did not occur in the presence of cycloheximide. It was hence concluded that plasminogen activator induction in alkylation repair deficient human cells is caused by unrepaired DNA damage and that it may represent an eukaryotic SOS-like function. In addition, plasminogen activator induction may be useful as a sensitive assay for the identification of alkylation repair defective human tumors for which the susceptibility to alkylation chemotherapy should be expected to increase.

Alkylating Agents↗
PubMed2001

Alkylating agent and chromatin structure determine sequence context-dependent formation of alkylpurines.

We determined the adduct maps of S(N)1 and S(N)2 alkylating agents in cultured human cells (in vivo) and in vitro to probe DNA-protein interactions along sequences of the promoter and exon 1 of the Fragile-X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. Using ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction (LMPCR), we compared the piperidine-sensitive alkylpurines sites generated by treating cultured cells (in vivo) and naked DNA (in vitro) with S(N)1 (N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, N-nitroso(acetoxymethyl)methylamine and 1-methyl-3-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine) and S(N)2 alkylating agents (dimethyl sulfate (DMS), methane sulfonic acid methyl ester, iodo methane, diethyl sulfate, methane sulfonic acid ethyl ester and iodo ethane). The FMR1 promoter has four sites where DNA-protein interactions are observed. In these regions, the S(N)1 methylating agent reactions produced only hypo-reactive sites. In contrast, iodoalkane S(N)2 alkylating agents (MeI and EtI) reactions generated only hyper-reactive sites. Although there are hyper-reactive sites for the other S(N)2 reagents, the hyper-reactive site at +14 on the FMR1 map is more pronounced for the sulfate and sulfonate-derived alkylating agents than for the iodoalkanes. However, DMS modification in the presence of methyl sulfone, a compound that does not alkylate DNA, eliminates the hyper-reactive site observed at +14. This suggests that the electron-rich oxygen atoms of the sulfate and sulfonate-derived S(N)2 alkylating agent structure position the alkylating moiety to the neighboring N-7-guanine position to favor alkyl transfer to the guanine. Using KMnO(4) to probe for single-strand DNA, an unpaired cytosine base was detected at the 5'-side of the hyper- reactive guanine base at position +14, consistent with the formation of a local DNA single-strand bulge. In conclusion, we show that the sequence context-dependent formation of alkylpurines is determined by the chemical nature of the alkylating agent, the DNA sequence context, chromatin structure, and the presence of other non-reactive molecules that can inhibit alkylation.

Alkylating Agents↗
PubMed2006

In vitro induction of micronuclei by monofunctional methanesulphonic acid esters: possible role of alkylation mechanisms.

Six monofunctional alkylating methanesulphonates of widely varying structures were investigated in the in vitro micronucleus assay with Syrian hamster embryo fibroblast cells. The results were compared with the alkylating activities measured in the 4-(nitrobenzyl)pyridine test (NBP-test) and the N-methyl mercaptoimidazole (MMI-test) as measures for S(N)2 reactivity as well as in the triflouoroacetic acid (TFA) solvolysis and the hydrolysis reaction as measures for S(N)1 reactivity in order to provide insights into the role of alkylation mechanisms on induction of micronuclei. Moreover we compared the results of micronucleus assay with those of the Ames tests in strain TA 100 and TA1535 and with those of the SOS chromotest with the strains PQ37, PQ243, PM21 and GC 4798. The potency of methanesulphonates to induce micronuclei depended only to a certain degree, on the total alkylating activity (S(N)1 and S(N)2 reactivity). An inverse, significant correlation between the Ames test and the micronucleus assay was observed and an inverse correlation between the micronucleus assay and the SOS chromotest with the different strains. The results indicate that the primary mechanism leading to induction of micronuclei is not O-alkylation in DNA as it is the case in the Ames test with the hisG46 strains TA1535 and TA100 and not N-alkylation as with the SOS chromotest. There is evidence that protein alkylation, e.g. in the spindle apparatus in mitosis is decisive for induction of micronuclei by alkylating compounds. The structurally voluminous methanesulphonates 2-phenyl ethyl methanesulphonate and 1-phenyl-2-propyl methanesulphonate show a clear higher micronuclei inducing potency than the other tested though the bulky methanesulphonates possess a lower total alkylating activity than the others. This effect can be explained by a higher disturbance during mitosis after alkylation of the spindle apparatus with the structurally more bulky methanesulphonates.

Alkylating Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Alkylation of oxytocin by S-(2-chloroethyl)glutathione and characterization of adducts by tandem mass spectrometry and Edman degradation.

S-(2-Chloroethyl)glutathione (CEG), an alkylating agent formed by glutathione conjugation with 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE), is able to alkylate DNA and proteins. As a prelude to identification of specific protein alkylation sites, the peptide oxytocin was alkylated by CEG, and tandem mass spectrometry was used to identify the alkylation sites. It was found that mono-, bis-, and tris-adducts can result from alkylation of reduced oxytocin and that tandem mass spectrometry differentiated (S-[2-(Cys1)ethyl]glutathione)oxytocin (mono-adduct Cys-1) from (S-[2-(Cys1,6)ethyl]glutathione)oxytocin (mono-adduct Cys-6). Manual Edman degradation was used to eliminate the possibility that alkylation has occurred at Tyr-2 rather than at Cys-1 in the case of (S-[2-(Cys1,6)ethyl]glutathione)oxytocin (bis-adduct) and mono-adduct Cys-1. A mono-adduct homodimer resulting from alkylation at Cys-6 and disulfide bridge formation through Cys-1 was also identified. Oxidized oxytocin formed two minor adducts, representing less than 5% of the oxytocin present in the reaction mixture. These findings demonstrate that alkylation of oxytocin by the episulfonium ion of CEG did occur, as evidenced by tandem mass spectrometry, and that characterization of these adducts will aid in the identification of alkylated amino acids in proteins exposed to CEG.

Alkylating Agents↗
PubMed2002

Molecular design of a pyrrole-imidazole hairpin polyamides for effective DNA alkylation.

New hairpin polyamide-CPI (CPI = cyclopropylpyrroloindole) conjugates, compounds 12-14, were synthesized and their DNA-alkylating activities compared with the previously prepared hairpin polyamide, compound 1, by high-resolution denaturing gel electrophoresis with 450 base pair (bp) DNA fragments and by HPLC product analysis of the synthetic decanucleotide. In accord with our previous results, alkylation by compound 1 occurred predominantly at the G moiety of the sequence 5'-AGTCAG-3' (site 3). However, compound 12, in which the structure of the alkylating moiety of compound 1 is replaced with segment A of duocarmycin A DU-86 (CPI), did not show any DNA alkylating activity. In clear contrast, the hairpin CPI conjugate 13, which differs from compound 1 in that it lacks one Py unit and possesses a vinyl linker, alkylated the A of 5'-AGTCAG-3' (site 3) efficiently at nanomolar concentrations. Alkylation by compound 14, which has a vinyl linker, occurred at the A of 5'-AGTCCA-3' (site 6) and at several minor alkylation sites, including mismatch alkylation at A of 5'-TCACAA-3' (site 2). The significantly different reactivity of the alkylating hairpin polyamides 1, 12, 13, and 14 was further confirmed by HPLC product analysis by using a synthetic decanucleotide. The results suggest that hairpin polyamide--CPI conjugate 13 alkylates effectively according to Dervan's pairing rule, and with a new mode of recognition in which the Im-vinyl linker (L) pair targets G-C base pairs. These results demonstrate that incorporation of the vinyl-linker pairing with Im dramatically improves the reactivity of hairpin polyamide--CPI conjugates.

Alkylation↗
PubMed1990

Effect of ionic strength and cationic DNA affinity binders on the DNA sequence selective alkylation of guanine N7-positions by nitrogen mustards.

Large variations in alkylation intensities exist among guanines in a DNA sequence following treatment with chemotherapeutic alkylating agents such as nitrogen mustards, and the substituent attached to the reactive group can impose a distinct sequence preference for reaction. In order to understand further the structural and electrostatic factors which determine the sequence selectivity of alkylation reactions, the effect of increased ionic strength, the intercalator ethidium bromide, AT-specific minor groove binders distamycin A and netropsin, and the polyamine spermine on guanine N7-alkylation by L-phenylalanine mustard (L-Pam), uracil mustard (UM), and quinacrine mustard (QM) was investigated with a modification of the guanine-specific chemical cleavage technique for DNA sequencing. For L-Pam and UM, increased ionic strength and the cationic DNA affinity binders dose dependently inhibited the alkylation. QM alkylation was less inhibited by salt (100 mM NaCl), ethidium (10 microM), and spermine (10 microM). Distamycin A and netropsin (100 microM) gave an enhancement of overall QM alkylation. More interestingly, the pattern of guanine N7-alkylation was qualitatively altered by ethidium bromide, distamycin A, and netropsin. The result differed with both the nitrogen mustard (L-Pam less than UM less than QM) and the cationic agent used. The effect, which resulted in both enhancement and suppression of alkylation sites, was most striking in the case of netropsin and distamycin A, which differed from each other. DNA footprinting indicated that selective binding to AT sequences in the minor groove of DNA can have long-range effects on the alkylation pattern of DNA in the major groove.

Alkylation↗
PubMed1975

Effects of alkylation of phosphodiesters and of bases of infectivity and stability of tobacco mosaic virus RNA.

Upon ethyl nitrosourea treatment of RNA of tobacco mosaic virus, up to four phosphodiester groups may be alkylated per molecule without chain breakage, as shown be sucrose gradient centrifugation. This indicates that ribophosphotriesters are quite stable. However, when this alkylation reaction is of longer duration and 6 to 10 triesters are formed, then an average of 1 to 2 breaks occurs and little or no intact RNA can be isolated. Methyl nitrosourea is less effective in forming triesters (about 25% of total alkyl groups compared to about 65% for ethyl nitrosourea), and a greater number of alkyl groups can, therefore, be introduced before breaks occur. Diethyl sulfate and dimethyl sulfate, which alkylate almost only the bases of nucleic acids, do not cause significant degradation of RNA of tobacco mosaic virus, even when as many as 70 alkyl groups are bound. All types of alkylation cause similar losses in viral infectivity at low levels of alkylation. Thus, an average of two chemical events leads to one lethal event, regardless of the nature of the alkylating reaction, which, for example, is with dimethyl sulfate about 65% on the N-7 guanine while with ethyl nitrosourea it is about 65% on phosphodiesters. It is thus concluded that all alkyl groups, whether on the base or on the phosphate, have the same potential to cause inactivation and that inactivation of RNA can result from phosphotriester formation per se.

Alkylation↗
PubMed1992

Sequence-selective depurination, DNA interstrand cross-linking and DNA strand break formation associated with alkylated DNA.

Alkylation of DNA by chloroethylnitrosourea (CNU) at the guanine N7 position has been shown to occur in a sequence-selective fashion. In this report we find that the depurination of these alkylated sites occurs with two distinct kinetic components--GG sequences depurinate within 30 min of exposure to CNU, while depurination at GT sequences is first observed after 1 h and continues to increase 16 h after drug exposure. These apurinic sites are converted to DNA strand breaks and constitute less than 10% of the total sites of guanine N7 alkylation. Spermidine was found to decrease alkylation in 5'-GG-3' sequences but increases alkylation at 5'-GTC-3' sequences. These findings suggest that the majority of the guanine N7 alkylations formed by CNU are stable, with a minor adduct being responsible for the slow depurination event. We propose that the rapid depurination induced by CNU occurs from an initial guanine O6 alkylation, which then depurinates via a guanine O6-N7 cyclized intermediate. We also propose that the resulting apurinic sites may lead to DNA interstrand cross-linking (ISC). In support of these hypotheses we show that (i) DNA modified with the monoalkylating agent dimethylsulfate forms DNA ISC upon depurination; (ii) ellagic acid enhances the level of guanine N7 alkylation and alters the pattern of sequence selectivity shown by three bifunctional chloroethylating agents CNU, mitozolomide and methyl 3-(2-chloroethyl)-4-oxoimidazo[5,1-d]-1,2,3,5-tetrazine-8-ca rboxylate but not with nitrogen mustard; (iii) ellagic acid has no effect upon the frequency of alkylation observed with the monofunctional alkylators N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea and methylmethanesulfonate; (iv) ellagic acid increases the frequency of depurination and strand break formation induced by CNU without affecting the sequence-selective pattern of depurination.

Alkylation↗