SPECIFIC PHOTOCOUPLING OF 5-BROMOURIDINE TO TRYPTOPHAN IN AQUEOUS FROZEN SOLUTION

Photochemical cross-linking of the cyclic adenosine 3',5' monophosphate receptor protein to Escherichia coli 5-bromouracil-substituted DNA. Role of the effectors

Cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP) is a regulatory protein implicated in the transcription of several operons in Escherichia coli. Its activity is modulated by effectors, such as cAMP or cGMP, which could induce (or not) structural changes in the protein, and activate (or not) the transcription. CRP can bind non-specifically to DNA, and we investigated the photocross-linking of the protein to E. coli 5-bromouracil-substituted DNA, in the absence and in the presence of effectors. The photochemistry of the protein alone, under the conditions used for the cross-linking reaction, was studied. We show that tryptophyl residues are more photoreactive than tyrosyl ones. Photocross-linking of the protein implicates only one of the two subunits, and the rate of the reaction is not modified upon cAMP binding. Binding of cGMP reduces the rate of photocross-linking by a factor of two. These new results show that the protein in the CRP-cGMP complex behaves differently from the free protein.

Photochemical coupling of 5-bromo-1,3-dimethyluracil and its 6-alkyl derivatives to 3-methylindole and N alpha-acetyl-L-tryptophan methyl ester

Photochemical reactions between 5-bromo-1,3-dimethyluracils and 3-substituted indoles in acetone solution were studied. Irradiation (lambda greater than 290 nm) of 5-bromo-1,3-dimethyluracil (1) and N alpha-acetyl-L-tryptophan methyl ester (2) yields, in addition to 5-(2-indolyl)uracil (3), a new photoadduct 5-(7-indolyl)uracil (4). 5-Bromo-1,3-dimethyluracils with 6-alkyl substituents irradiated in the presence of 2 give the 5-(2-indolyl)uracil-type photoadducts exclusively.

Photochemical reduction of 5-bromouracil by cysteine derivatives and coupling of 5-bromouracil to cystine derivatives

Irradiation of pH 7, aqueous solutions of 5-bromouracil (BU) in the presence of cysteine peptide-like derivatives at 308 nm using a XeCl excimer laser yielded initial formation of only uracil (U) and the corresponding cystine derivative. Continued irradiation yielded an S-uracilylcysteinyl adduct as well as additional U and cystine derivative. Similar irradiation of a solution of BU and a cystine derivative yielded initial formation of U and the S-uracilylcysteinyl adduct. Formation of these products as well as secondary products of uracil photochemistry was observed upon irradiation of the respective solutions with 254 nm light. With 308 nm laser excitation, U-Cys adduct formation and reduction of BU to U are proposed to occur via initial electron transfer from the disulfide of the cystine derivative to triplet BU. The quantum yield of BU destruction with 308 nm excitation in the presence of cystine derivative is 1.1 X 10(-3). Reaction of triplet BU with the cysteine derivative does not yield U-Cys adduct but U and cystine derivative. A possible byproduct of reduction of triplet BU to U by a cysteinyl residue in a protein BU-DNA complex is a sulphenyl bromide which might yield a protein-DNA crosslink via nucleophilic substitution on sulfur by a nucleophilic site in DNA.

Photosensitized reactions of nucleic acids

The main effects of near-ultraviolet and visible light on cellular DNA are reviewed with emphasis on base lesions, oligonucleotide single-strand breaks and DNA-protein cross-links. Model system photosensitization reactions of DNA are also discussed. This includes photodynamic effects, menadione-mediated photooxidation, photoionization of antibiotics, the photochemistry of 5-halogenopyrimidines and urocanic acid.

Optically detected zero field magnetic resonance characterization of a bromine atom-containing polynucleotide, poly(dA-br5dU)

Phosphorescence and optically detected zero field magnetic resonance ( ODMR ) spectra are reported for a bromine atom-containing polynucleotide, poly(dA- br5dU ). The triplet state luminescence of poly(dA- br5dU ) is dominated by the phosphorescence of the bromouracil base which possesses sub-millisecond triplet lifetimes. Characteristic multiple slow passage ODMR transitions, which are observed in both br5dUrd and poly(dA- br5dU ), are assigned to the triplet state of bromouracil. In addition, an abnormally-perturbed adenine triplet state, which is not apparent in the phosphorescence spectrum of poly(dA- br5dU ), is detected and identified by its slow passage ODMR and amplitude-modulated phosphorescence microwave double resonance spectra. It is proposed that the perturbed adenine is a minor component of the polynucleotide structure which is present in regions of altered stacking induced by the high polarizability of the Br atom.