ON THE REPORTED SEDIMENTATION OF POLYCYCLIC HYDROCARBONS FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS OF DNA

DNA binding of a spermine derivative: spectroscopic study of anthracene-9-carbonyl-N1-spermine with poly[d(G-C).(d(G-C)] and poly[d(A-T).d(A-T)]

The binding of polyamines, including spermidine (1) and spermine (2), to poly[d(G-C).d(G-C)] was probed using spectroscopic studies of anthracene-9-carbonyl-N1-spermine (3); data from normal absorption, linear dichroism (LD), and circular dichroism (CD) are reported. Ligand LD and CD for transitions located in the DNA region of the spectrum were used. The data show that 3 binds to DNA in a manner characteristic of both its amine and polycyclic aromatic parts. With poly[(dG-dC).(dG-dC)], binding modes are occupied sequentially and different modes correspond to different structural perturbations of the DNA. The most stable binding mode for 3 with poly[d(G-C).d(G-C)] has a site size of 6 +/- 1 bases, and an equilibrium binding constant of (2.2 +/- 1.1) x 10(7) M-1 with the anthracene moiety intercalated. It dominates the spectra from mixing ratios of approximately 133:1 until 6:1 DNA phosphate: 3 is reached. The analogous data for poly[d(A-T).d(A-T)] between mixing ratios 36:1 and 7:1 indicates a site size of 8.3 +/- 1.1 bases and an equilibrium binding constant of (6.6 +/- 3.3) x 10(5) M-1. Thus, 3 binds preferentially to poly[d(G-C).d(G-C)] at these concentrations.

Mechanisms of quenching of the fluorescence of a benzo[a]pyrene tetraol metabolite model compound by 2'-deoxynucleosides

The hydrophobic interactions of bulky polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with nucleic acid bases and the formation of noncovalent complexes with DNA are important in the expressions of the mutagenic and carcinogenic potentials of this class of compounds. The fluorescence of the polycyclic aromatic residues can be employed as a probe of these interactions. In this work, the interactions of the (+)-trans stereoisomer of the tetraol 7,8,9,10-tetrahydroxytetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPT), a hydrolysis product of a highly mutagenic and carcinogenic diol epoxide derivative of benzo[a]pyrene, were studied with 2'-deoxynucleosides in aqueous solution by fluorescence and UV spectroscopic techniques. Ground-state complexes between BPT and the purine derivatives 2'-deoxyguanosine (dG), 2'-deoxyadenosine (dA), and 2'-deoxyinosine (dI) are formed with association constants in the range of approximately 40-130 M(-1). Complex formation with the pyrimidine derivatives 2'-deoxythymidine (dT), 2'-deoxycytidine (dC), and 2'-deoxyuridine (dU) is significantly weaker. Whereas dG is a strong quencher of the fluorescence of BPT by both static and dynamic mechanisms (dynamic quenching rate constant k(DYN) = [2.5 +/- 0.4] x 10(9) M(-1)s(-1), which is close to the estimated diffusion-controlled value of approximately 5 x 10(9) M(-1)s(-1), both dA and dI are weak quenchers and form fluorescence-emitting complexes with BPT. The pyrimidine derivatives dC, dU, and dT are efficient dynamic fluorescence quenchers (k(DYN) approximately [1.5-3.0] x 10(9) M (-1)s(-1), with a small static quenching component due to complex formation evident only in the case of dT. None of the four nucleosides dG, dA, dC and dT are dynamic quenchers of BPT in the triplet excited state; the observed lower yields of triplets are attributed to the quenching of single excited states of BPT by 2'-deoxynucleosides without passing through the triplet manifold of BPT. Possible fluorescence quenching mechanisms involving photoinduced electron transfer are discussed. The strong quenching of the fluorescence of BPT by dG, dC and dT accounts for the low fluorescence yields of BPT-native DNA and of pyrene-DNA complexes.

Intermolecular Forces in Association of Purines with Polybenzenoid Hydrocarbons

The interactions in solution between purine or pyrimidine bases and polybenzenoid aromatic hydrocarbons probably consist in a vertical, stacking-type physical association. By molecular orbital calculations the role of the Van der Waals-London intermolecular forces in these interactions is determined. The electrostatic dipole-dipole forces are negligible, the polarization (or induction) dipole-induced dipole forces are contributory, but most important are the dispersion (or fluctuation) forces. This loose, physical type of interaction should not show any specificity with respect to the carcinogenic activity of the hydrocarbons.