Studies related to antitumor antibiotics. Part VIII. Cleavage of DNA by streptonigrin analogues and the relationship to antineoplastic activity.

A group of substituted 5,8-quinolinequinones which exhibit antineoplastic activity and which are structurally related to the antitumor antibiotic streptonigrin induce single strand cleavage of PM2 covalently-closed circular-DNA (ccc-DNA) when reductively activated. The cleavage which is detected by an ethidium fluorescence assay is specifically enhanced by cuprous and ferrous ion and is selectively inhibited by superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1) and catalase (EC 1.11.1.6) and by free radical scavengers. Independent generation of the superoxide ion by xanthine-xanthine oxidase (EC 1.2.3.2) also cleaves PM2 DNA and therefore a chemical mechanism for the scission process induced by the streptonigrin analogues is formulated. A correlation between rate of PM2 ccc-DNA cleavage and inhibition of Walker carcinosarcoma 256 is observed.     

Studies related to antitumor antibiotics. Part V. Reactions of mitomycin C with DNA examined by ethidium fluorescence assay.

The cytotoxic action of the antitumor antibiotic mitomycin C occurs primarily at the level of DNA. Using highly sensitive fluorescence assays which depend on the enhancement of ethidium fluorescence only when it intercalates duplex regions of DNA, three aspects of mitomycin C action on DNA have been studied: (a) cross-linking events, (b) alkylation without necessarily cross-linking, and (c) strand breakage. Cross-linking of DNA is determined by the return of fluorescence after a heat denaturation step at alkaline pH's. Under these conditions denatured DNA gives no fluorescence. The cross-linking was independently confirmed by S1-endonuclease (EC 3.1.4.-) digestion. At relatively high concentrations of mitomycin the suppression of ethidium fluorescence enhancement was shown not to be due to depurination but rather to alkylation, as a result of losses in potential intercalation sites. A linear relationship exists between binding ratio for mitomycin and loss of fluorescence. The proportional decrease in fluorescence with pH strongly suggests that the alkylation is due to the aziridine moiety of the antibiotic under these conditions. A parallel increase in the rate and overall efficiency of covalent cross-linking of DNA with lower pH suggests that the cross-linking event, to which the primary cytotoxic action has been linked, occurs sequentially with alkylation by aziridine and then by carbamate. Mitomycin C, reduced chemically, was shown to induce single strand cleavage as well as monoaklylation and covalent cross-linking in PM2 covalently closed circular DNA. The inhibition of this cleavage by superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1) and catalase (EC 1.11.1.6), and by free radical scavengers suggests that the degradation of DNA observed to accompany the cytotoxic action of mitomycin C is largely due to the free radical O2. In contrast to the behavior of the antibiotic streptonigrin, mitomycin C does not inactivate the protective enzymes superoxide dismutase or catalase. Lastly, mitomycin C is able to cross-link DNA in the absence of reduction at pH 4. This is consistent with the postulated cross-linking mechansims.     

Strand scission of DNA by bound adriamycin and daunorubicin in the presence of reducing agents.

Adriamycin and daunorubicin bound to covalently closed circular DNA nick the latter when reduced by sodium borohydride as demonstrated using an ethidium bromide fluorescence assay. The degradation, dependent on oxygen, is strongly inhibited by (i) superoxide dismutase (ii) catalase and (iii) sodium benzoate indicating the intermediacy in the cleavage of superoxide radical anion, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals respectively. Less nicking of the DNA is observed by the reduced aglycones, so binding to the DNA by the aminosugar moiety assists the cleavage process. Adriamycin, daunorubicin and both ring C reduced forms bind intercalatively and completely relax supercoiled DNA. The results provide a possible rationale for the degradation of DNA which accompanies anthracycline administration.     

DNA cleavage by phenylhydroquinone: the major metabolite of a fungicide o-phenylphenol

The interaction of o-phenylphenol (OPP) and its metabolites with DNA was examined. As a model system, the reactivities of OPP and its metabolites with DNA were studied by using pUC18 DNA. The major metabolite formed in vitro from OPP by mixed function oxidase was phenylhydroquinone (PHQ). This result corresponds to the findings that PHQ in the form of glucuronide conjugate was the main product detected in bladder of OPP fed rats in vivo. When supercoiled pUC18 DNA (form I) was incubated with PHQ at concentrations from 1 X 10(-6) M to 2 X 10(-1) M, DNA strand scission by PHQ was observed at a concentration as low as 1 X 10(-5) M and the amount of linear form (form III) increased with increasing PHQ concentration. PHQ causes DNA strand scission. The DNA cleavage by OPP and phenyl-p-benzoquinone (PBQ) was barely detectable. The DNA cleavage by PHQ was inhibited by superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and several oxygen radical scavengers such as polyethylene glycol, tert-butanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, sodium azide, sodium benzoate, bovine serum albumin and methionine. The production of superoxide radical from PHQ was confirmed by cytochrome c reduction assay. These results indicate that the oxygen radicals such as superoxide, hydroxyl radicals and some others generated in the process of oxidation of PHQ in aqueous solution are responsible for the DNA cleavage. In order to identify the sites of cleavage of DNA by PHQ, a 5'-end 32P-labeled 206 base-pair EcoRI-BglI fragment of pUC18 DNA was incubated with PHQ. The DNA was then analyzed by sequencing gel electrophoresis followed by autoradiography. When the DNA was incubated with PHQ and further treated with piperidine, cleavage was detected relatively more frequently at guanine residues. The attack seemed to occur at guanine residues in general, but was not restricted to guanines with specific residues in the vicinity.     

DNA cleavage specificity of a group of cationic metalloporphyrins

The ability of a group of water-soluble metalloporphyrins to cleave DNA has been investigated. Incubation of Mn3+, Fe3+, or Co3+ complexes of meso-tetrakis(N-methyl-4-pyridiniumyl)porphine (H2T4MPyP) with DNA in the presence of ascorbate, superoxide ion, or iodosobenzene results in DNA breakage. Comparisons between the rates of porphyrin autodestruction with the rates of strand scission of covalently closed circular PM2 DNA indicate that the porphyrins remain intact during the cleavage process. Analysis of the porphyrin-mediated strand scissions on a 139-base-pair restriction fragment of pBR322 DNA using gel electrophoresis/autoradiography/microdensitometry reveals that the minimum porphyrin cleavage site is (A X T)3. The cleavage pattern within a given site was found to be asymmetric, indicating that porphyrin binding and the strand scission process are highly directional in nature. In addition to an analysis of the mechanism of porphyrin-mediated strand breakage in terms of the DNA cleavage mechanism of methidium-propyl-iron-EDTA and Fe-bleomycin, the potential of the cationic metalloporphyrins as footprinting probes and as new "reporter ligands" for DNA is presented and discussed.     

Copper-mediated nuclease activity of jadomycin B

The natural product jadomycin B, isolated from Streptomyces venezeulae ISP5230, has been found to cleave DNA in the presence of Cu(II) ions without the requirement for an external reducing agent. The efficiency of DNA cleavage was probed using supercoiled plasmid DNA in buffered solution as a model environment. EC?? and t(?) values for cleavage were 1.7 μM and 0.75 h, respectively, and varied ± 5% with the particular batch of plasmid and jadomycin employed. While UV-vis spectroscopy indicates that the cleavage event does not involve direct binding of jadomycin B to DNA, a stoichiometric Cu(II) preference for optimum cleavage suggests a weak binding interaction between jadomycin B and Cu(II) in the presence of DNA. The Cu(II)-mediated cleavage is greatly enhanced by UV light, which implicates the jadomycin B radical cation and Cu(I) as potential intermediates in DNA cleavage. Evidence in favor of this hypothesis was derived from a mechanistic assay which showed reduced cleavage as a function of added catalase and EDTA, scavengers of H?O? and Cu(II), respectively. Thus, jadomycin B may serve as a source of electrons for Cu(II) reduction, producing Cu(I) which reacts with H?O? to form hydroxyl radicals that cause DNA strand scission. In addition, scavengers of hydroxyl radicals and superoxide also display inhibitory effects, underscoring the ability of jadomycin B to produce a powerful arsenal of deleterious oxygen species when copper is present.     

Studies on antitumor drugs targeting DNA: photosensitive DNA cleavage of copper-camptothecin

In combination with copper(II) ion and 365 nm-light, anti-tumor alkaloid camptothecin produced remarkable DNA strand scission. The DNA sequencing analysis revealed considerably random nucleotide sequence cleavage. The present DNA breakage reaction was strongly inhibited by catalase and bathocuproine, but not by superoxide dismutase, mannitol, and 1,4-diazabicyclo-[2.2.2]octane. The camptothecin-Cu(II)-UV light system also clearly induced bacteriophage-inactivation which is associated with the DNA degradation. On the basis of the experimental results, the reaction mechanism for the present DNA cleavage has been discussed.     

The mechanism of DNA strand breakage by vitamin C and superoxide and the protective roles of catalase and superoxide dismutase.

Vitamin C breaks DNA only in the presence of oxygen. Superoxide dismutase has no effect on the reaction but catalase suppresses it. Superoxide also gives rise to breaks in DNA suppressible by both superoxide dismutase and catalase. The hydroxyl radical seems to be the agent responsible for strand cleavage itself.     

The DNA cleavage induced by a chromium(V) complex and by chromate and glutathione is mediated by activated oxygen species

The number of strand breaks induced by the combination of chromate and glutathione (GSH) in PM2 DNA was effectively reduced upon addition of the hydroxyl radical scavengers dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), formate and benzoate. Administration of catalase also led to a depression of DNA degradation whereas superoxide dismutase (SOD) had very little influence. Essentially the same results were obtained in experiments employing a chromium(V) complex Na4(GSH)4Cr.8H20, which is an intermediate chromium species isolated from the reduction of chromate by glutathione. DNA cleavage was dependent on the presence of iron (FeCl3). When compared with the number of breaks produced by FeCl3 and GSH alone, chromate stimulated the generation of single-strand breaks. These findings suggest that hydroxyl radicals are one ultimate DNA cleaving agent in both reactions. A reaction scheme for the production of hydroxyl radicals is proposed.     

Generation of superoxide free radical by neocarzinostatin and its possible role in DNA damage

Spectroscopic analysis of the reduction of both nitro blue tetrazolium and ferricytochrome c induced by neocarzinostatin shows that superoxide free radical is produced during the spontaneous degradation of the antibiotic. The amount of superoxide free radical produced from neocarzinostatin is not affected by the presence of thiol, although earlier work has shown that DNA damage is stimulated at least 1000-fold by thiol. Transition metals are not involved in this reaction. Although superoxide dismutase inhibits the reduction of nitro blue tetrazolium and cytochrome c induced by neocarzinostatin, neither it nor catalase interferes with the action of neocarzinostatin on DNA, whether or not drug has been activated by thiol. The pH profiles for spontaneous base release and alkali-labile base release (a measure of nucleoside 5'-aldehyde formation at a strand break) do not correspond with that for the generation of superoxide free radical from neocarzinostatin. The same holds for supercoiled DNA cutting by neocarzinostatin chromophore in the absence of a thiol, which is an acid-favored reaction. These results indicate that the generation of superoxide free radical by the drug does not correlate with DNA damage activity, whether or not thiol is present. Furthermore, the failure of hydroxyl free-radical scavengers to inhibit drug-induced single-strand breaks in supercoiled DNA in the absence of thiol also indicates that a diffusible hydroxyl free radical is most probably not involved in this reaction.     

Clear evidence for the participation of OH in lambda DNA breakage induced by the enzymatic reduction of adriamycin in the presence of iron-ADP. Importance of local OH concentration for DNA strand cleavage

lambda DNA (a double-stranded DNA) was exposed to several adriamycin-mediated active oxygen generating systems (O2- and H2O2 generating, OH generating, and perferryl ion complex generating), extracted, and analyzed by gel electrophoresis on agarose gel. Only the DNA exposed to and subsequently isolated from the adriamycin-mediated OH generating system contained many DNA fragments of low molecular weight, indicating the breakage of DNA strands. Such a breakage was strikingly inhibited by catalase or 50 mM sodium benzoate, but not by superoxide dismutase. The local OH concentration near the DNA strand was considered to be important for DNA strand cleavage.     

DNA Single Strand Breaks by Aromatic Nitroso Compounds in the Presence of Thiols

Aromatic nitroso compounds, nitrosobenzene (NB), N, N-dimethyl-4-nitrosoaniline (DMNA) and 3,5-dibromo-4-nitrosobenzene sulfonate (DBNBS), caused DNA single strand breaks in the presence of thiol compounds. The strand breaking was inhibited completely by free radical scavenger ethanol. Electron spin resonance (ESR) studies showed that hydronitroxyl (or sulfur-substituted nitroxyl) radicals were generated in the early stage of the interactions. Formation of these radicals was not inhibited by ethanol, indicating that these radicals did not directly contribute to the strand breaking. The DNA strand breaking was inhibited partially by superoxide dismutase and catalase under the limited conditions, but not by removal of oxygen from or addition of metal chelators to the reaction mixture. By ESR-spin trapping technique using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO), the DMPO-OH spin adduct was detected. Formation of the spin adduct was inhibited by superoxide dismutase and catalase. The hydronitroxyl (or the sulfur-substituted nitroxyl) radicals may reduce oxygen into active oxygen species and also transformed by themselves into other unidentified free radical species to cause the DNA strand breaks.     

Breaking the light and heavy chain linkage of human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) by radical reactions

We report that the production of hydrogen peroxide by radical chain reductions of molecular oxygen into water in buffers leads to hinge degradation of a human IgG1 under thermal incubation conditions. The production of the hydrogen peroxide can be accelerated by superoxide dismutase or redox active metal ions or inhibited by free radical scavengers. The hydrogen peroxide production rate correlates well with the hinge cleavage. In addition to radical reaction mechanisms described previously, new degradation pathways and products were observed. These products were determined to be generated via radical reactions initiated by electron transfer and addition to the interchain disulfide bond between Cys(215) of the light chain and Cys(225) of the heavy chain. Decomposition of the resulting disulfide bond radical anion breaks the C-S bond at the side chain of Cys, converting it into dehydroalanine and generating a sulfur radical adduct at its counterpart. The hydrolysis of the unsaturated dehydropeptides removes Cys and yields an amide at the C terminus of the new fragment. Meanwhile, the competition between the carbonyl (-C(α)ONH-) and the side chain of Cys allows an electron transfer to the α carbon, forming a new intermediate radical species (-(·)C(α)(O(-))NH-) at Cys(225). Dissociative deamidation occurs along the N-C(α) bond, resulting in backbone cleavage. Given that hydrogen peroxide is a commonly observed product of thermal stress and plays a role in mediating the unique degradation of an IgG1, strategies for improving stability of human antibody therapeutics are discussed.     

Synergistic induction of hydroxyl radical-induced DNA single-strand breaks by chromium(VI) compound and cigarette smoke solution

Chromium(VI) compounds and cigarette smoke are known human carcinogens. We found that K2Cr2O7 and cigarette smoke solution synergistically induced DNA single-strand breaks (0.23+/-0.04 breaks per DNA molecule) in pUC118 plasmid DNA. K2Cr2O7 alone or cigarette smoke solution alone induced much less strand breaks (0.03+/-0.01 or 0.07+/-0.02 breaks per DNA molecule, respectively). The synergistic effect was prevented by catalase and by hydroxyl radical scavengers such as deferoxamine, dimethylsulfoxide, d-mannitol, and Tris, but not by superoxide dismutase. Ascorbic acid enhanced the synergism. Glutathione inhibited strand breakage only at high concentrations. Electron spin resonance (ESR) studies using a hydroxyl radical trap demonstrated that hydroxyl radicals were generated when DNA was incubated with K2Cr2O7 and cigarette smoke solution. Hydroxyl radical adduct decreased dose-dependently when strand breakage was prevented by catalase, deferoxamine, dimethylsulfoxide, d-mannitol or Tris, but not significantly by superoxide dismutase. We also used ESR spectroscopy to study the effects of different concentration of ascorbic acid and glutathione. The results showed that hydroxyl radical, which is proposed as a main carcinogenic mechanism for both chromium(VI) compounds and cigarette smoke solution was mainly responsible for the DNA breaks they induced.     

Reaction of hydrogen peroxide with ferrylhemoglobin: superoxide production and heme degradation

The reaction of Fe(II) hemoglobin (Hb) but not Fe(III) hemoglobin (metHb) with hydrogen peroxide results in degradation of the heme moiety. The observation that heme degradation was inhibited by compounds, which react with ferrylHb such as sodium sulfide, and peroxidase substrates (ABTS and o-dianisidine), demonstrates that ferrylHb formation is required for heme degradation. A reaction involving hydrogen peroxide and ferrylHb was demonstrated by the finding that heme degradation was inihibited by the addition of catalase which removed hydrogen peroxide even after the maximal level of ferrylHb was reached. The reaction of hydrogen peroxide with ferrylHb to produce heme degradation products was shown by electron paramagnetic resonance to involve the one-electron oxidation of hydrogen peroxide to the oxygen free radical, superoxide. The inhibition by sodium sulfide of both superoxide production and the formation of fluorescent heme degradation products links superoxide production with heme degradation. The inability to produce heme degradation products by the reaction of metHb with hydrogen peroxide was explained by the fact that hydrogen peroxide reacting with oxoferrylHb undergoes a two-electron oxidation, producing oxygen instead of superoxide. This reaction does not produce heme degradation, but is responsible for the catalytic removal of hydrogen peroxide. The rapid consumption of hydrogen peroxide as a result of the metHb formed as an intermediate during the reaction of reduced hemoglobin with hydrogen peroxide was shown to limit the extent of heme degradation.     

Bleomycin-dependent damage to the bases in DNA is a minor side reaction.

The antitumor antibiotic bleomycin degrades DNA in the presence of ferric ions and H2O2 or in the presence of ferric ions, oxygen, and ascorbic acid. When DNA degradation is measured as formation of base propenals by the thiobarbituric acid assay, it is not inhibited by superoxide dismutase and scavengers of the hydroxyl radical or by catalase (except that catalase inhibits in the bleomycin/ferric ion/H2O2 system by removing H2O2). Using the technique of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with selected-ion monitoring, we show that DNA degradation is accompanied by formation of small amounts of modified DNA bases. The products formed are identical with those generated when hydroxyl radicals react with DNA bases. Base modification is significantly inhibited by catalase and partially inhibited by scavengers of the hydroxyl radical and by superoxide dismutase. We suggest that the bleomycin-oxo-iron ion complex that cleaves the DNA to form base propenals can decompose in a minor side reaction to generate hydroxyl radical, which accounts for the base modification in DNA. However, hydroxyl radical makes no detectable contribution to the base propenal formation.     

Long-distance radical cation reactions in DNA three-way junctions: inter-arm interaction and migration through the junction

DNA three-way junctions (TWJ) are branched molecules having three ‘arms’. We studied long-distance radical cation migration in these assemblies by incorporating anthraquinone (AQ) groups linked by a covalent tether to one strand of one arm of the TWJ. Excitation of the AQ at 350 nm results in one-electron oxidation of the DNA, which generates a base radical cation. This leads to relatively inefficient (compared with duplex DNA) strand cleavage at guanines following piperidine treatment of the irradiated samples. When the AQ is linked to the 5′-terminus of arm III by a flexible tether, gel electrophoretic analysis shows that strand cleavage occurs at the guanines in all three arms. We also investigated a TWJ in which the anthraquinone is specifically intercalated in arm III. In this case, a different pattern of strand cleavage is detected. We conclude that there are at least two mechanisms for long-distance radical cation migration in TWJs: (i) by inefficient charge hopping through the junction; (ii) by a through-space, cross-arm interaction when the AQ is on a flexible tether.     

Product analyses in DNA strand scission by antitumor antibiotic elsamicin A.

Elsamicin A is an antitumor antibiotic with fascinating chemical structure and a good candidate for pharmaceutical development. Molecular mechanism of DNA backbone cleavage mediated by Fe(II)-elsamicin A has been examined. Product analysis using DNA sequencing gels and HPLC reveals the production of damaged DNA fragments bearing 3'-/5'-phosphate and 3'-phosphoglycolate termini associated with formation of free base. In addition, hydrazine-trapping experiments indicate that C-4' hydroxylated abasic sites are formed concomitant with DNA degradation by Fe(II)-elsamicin A. The results lead to the conclusion that the hydroxyl radical formed in Fe(II)-elsamicin A plus dithiothreitol system oxidizes the deoxyribose moiety via hydrogen abstraction predominantly at the C-4' carbon of the deoxyribose backbone and ultimately produces strand breakage of DNA.     

红托竹荪多糖抗氧化活性的研究

本文采用DPPH自由基、羟自由基及超氧阴离子自由基体系对红托竹荪多糖的抗氧化活性进行了研究,并同Vc和BHT进行了比较.结果表明,在0.2～1.2 mg/mL质量浓度范围内,红托竹荪多糖对DPPH自由基、羟自由基、超氧阴离子自由基的半数清除率(EC50)值分别为1.468、2.580和2.330,抗氧化活性稍强于BHT,但弱于VC.     

Cleavage of DNA with methidiumpropyl-EDTA-iron(II): reaction conditions and product analyses

The synthesis of methidiumpropyl-EDTA (MPE) is described. The binding affinities of MPE, MPE.Ni(II), and MPE.Mg(II) to calf thymus DNA are 2.4 X 10(4) M-1, 1.5 X 10(5) M-1, and 1.2 X 10(5) M-1, respectively, in 50 mM NaCl, pH 7.4. The binding site size is two base pairs. MPE.Mg(II) unwinds PM2 DNA 11 +/- 3 degrees per bound molecule. MPE.Fe(II) in the presence of O2 efficiently cleaves DNA and with low sequence specificity. Reducing agents significantly enhance the efficiency of the cleavage reaction in the order sodium ascorbate greater than dithiothreitol greater than NADPH. At concentrations of 0.1-0.01 microM in MPE.Fe(II) and 10 microM in DNA base pairs, optimum ascorbate and dithiothreitol concentrations for DNA cleavage are 1-5 mM. Efficient cleavage of DNA (10 microM in base pairs) with MPE.Fe(II) (0.1-0.01 microM) occurs over a pH range of 7-10 with the optimum at 7.4 (Tris-HCl buffer). The optimum cleavage time is 3.5 h (22 degrees C). DNA cleavage is efficient in a Na+ ion concentration range of 5 mM to 1 M, with the optimum at 5 mM NaCl. The number of single-strand scissions on supercoiled DNA per MPE.Fe(II) under optimum conditions is 1.4. Metals such as Co(II), Mg(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) inhibit strand scission by MPE. The released products from DNA cleavage by MPE.Fe(II) are the four nucleotide bases. The DNA termini at the cleavage site are 5'-phosphate and roughly equal proportions of 3'-phosphate and 3'-(phosphoglycolic acid). The products are consistent with the oxidative degradation of the deoxyribose ring of the DNA backbone, most likely by hydroxy radical.