Base specific and regioselective chemical cross-linking of daunorubicin to DNA Article

Leng, F, Savkur, R, Fokt, I et al. (1996). Base specific and regioselective chemical cross-linking of daunorubicin to DNA . JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, 118(20),

cited authors

  • Leng, F; Savkur, R; Fokt, I; Przewloka, T; Priebe, W; Chaires, JB

authors

abstract

  • The potent anticancer drug daunorubicin binds to DNA by the process of intercalation. Formaldehyde (HCOH) was found to rapidly and efficiently cross-link the drug to DNA in solution in a reaction the rate of which was strongly dependent upon HCOH concentration. The cross-linked drug remains intercalated into DNA, as judged from the results of absorbance, fluorescence, and circular dichroic spectroscopic studies and thermal denaturation studies. Comparative studies using a series of anthracycline derivatives showed that the 3'-NH2 group on the daunosamine moiety is absolutely required for cross-linking. Comparative studies using synthetic deoxypolynucleotides of defined sequence showed that the N2 amino group of guanine is absolutely required for cross-linking. In restriction enzyme inhibition assays using pBR322 DNA as a substrate, cross-linked daunorubicin was found to completely inhibit cutting by Nae I (recognition site 5′GCCGGC3′) but not by Dra I (recognition site 5′TTTAAA3′). These results (a) extend, into solution, previous reports of the cross-linking of daunorubicin to oligonucleotides in crystals; (b) show that daunorubicin can be chemically cross-linked to natural DNA samples as well as to poly- and oligonucleotides, and (c) demonstrate the base- and regioselectivity of the cross-linking reaction.

publication date

  • May 22, 1996

volume

  • 118

issue

  • 20