A Novel One-Step Fabricated, Droplet-Based Electrochemical Sensor for Facile Biochemical Assays.

A simple, novel concept for the one-step fabrication of a low-cost, easy-to-use droplet-based electrochemical (EC) sensor is described, in which the EC reagents are contained in a droplet and the droplet assay is operated on a simple planar surface instead of in a complicated closed channel/chamber. In combination with an elegant carbon electrode configuration, screen-printed on a widely available polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate, the developed sensor exhibits a stable solution-restriction capacity and acceptable EC response, and thus can be used directly for the detection of different analytes (including ascorbic acid (AA), copper ions (Cu(2+)), 2'-deoxyguanosine 5'-triphosphate (dGTP) and ferulic acid (FA)), without any pretreatment. The obtained, acceptable linear ranges/detection limits for AA, Cu(2+), dGTP and FA are 0.5-10/0.415 mM, (0.0157-0.1574 and 0.1574-1.5736)/0.011 mM, 0.01-0.1/0.008 mM and 0.0257-0.515/0.024 mM, respectively. Finally, the utility of the droplet-based EC sensor was demonstrated for the determination of AA in two commercial beverages, and of Cu(2+) in two water samples, with reliable recovery and good stability. The applicability of the droplet-based sensor demonstrates that the proposed EC strategy is potentially a cost-effective solution for a series of biochemical sensing applications in public health, environmental monitoring, and the developing world.

Detection and separation of nucleoside-5'-monophosphates of DNA by conjugation with the fluorescent dye BODIPY and capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection.

We investigated the separation and detection of the 5'-monophosphates of 2'-deoxynucleosides selectively conjugated with 4,4-difluoro-5,7-dimethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene-3-propionyl ethylene diamine hydrochloride (BODIPY FL EDA) at the 5'-phosphate group using capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF). BODIPY conjugates of the four common deoxynucleoside-5'-monophosphates (2'-deoxyguanosine-5'-monophosphate, 2'-deoxyadenosine-5'-monophosphate, 2'-deoxycytidine-5'-monophosphate, and thymidine-5'-monophosphate) were prepared and subjected to CE-LIF to serve as standard compounds for peak assignment and to develop separation conditions for the analysis of DNA. BODIPY conjugates were detected and resolved by CE-LIF after digestion of DNA or an oligonucleotide to 5'-monophosphates by nuclease P1 (NP 1) and fluorescence labeling without further purification step. Comparative analyses of calf-thymus DNA digested either with micrococcal nuclease/spleen phosphodiesterase to 3'-monophosphates or with NP 1 to 5'-monophosphates showed that both versions of the fluorescence postlabeling assay were equally efficient and sensitive. Moreover, using the same assay, 2'-deoxyuridine and 2'-deoxy-5methylcytidine were identified in bisulfite treated DNA after NP 1 digestion indicating that fluorescence postlabeling of 2'-deoxyribonucleoside-5'-monophosphates with BODIPY FL EDA and detection by CE-LIF has the potential to determine DNA damage and genomic DNA methylation.

Separation of N2-ethyl-2'-deoxyguanosine-5'-monophosphate and four native deoxyribonucleoside monophosphates using capillary zone electrophoresis with polyethylene glycol as buffer additive.

We investigated the separation of five deoxyribonucleoside monophosphates: 2'-deoxyguanosine-5'-monophosphate (dGMP), 2'-deoxyadenosine-5'-monophosphate (dAMP), 2'-deoxycytosine-5'-monophosphate (dCMP), 2'-deoxythymidine-5'-monophosphate (dTMP) and a dGMP adduct possessing N2-ethyl-guanine, which has been noted in relation to mutagenesis of alcohol, using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). The concentration of polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a modifier and the pH of the running solutions can efficiently control the observed separation. Interaction of PEG with analytes was quantitatively evaluated. PEG worked effectively as a hydrophobic selector in these separations. The values of pKa of the acidic-NH-groups in the base moieties of dGMP, dTMP, and the dGMP adduct are close to that of boric acid used as buffer of the running solutions. The control of their charge was facilitated, enabling improved separations. A more sufficient and fast separation was achieved by both optimization of pH of the running solutions and PEG concentration compared with that obtained by pH control alone. On-line concentration using a stacking method followed by the PEG-assisted CZE was briefly studied.

32P-postlabelling of diastereomeric 7-alkylguanine adducts of butadiene monoepoxide.

The reaction of 3,4-epoxy-1-butene (BMO) with deoxyguanosine-3'-monophosphate (3'-dGMP) resulted in the formation of two pairs of diastereomeric 7-alkyl-3'-dGMP derivatives corresponding to two isomers C¿-1 and C¿-2. The T4 polynucleotide kinase-mediated phosphorylation with [gamma-32P]-ATP showed preferential labelling of diastereo- mers of the C¿-1 isomer. The diastereomers 1 and 2 of the C¿-1 isomer had labelling efficiencies of 42%. However, the labelling efficiencies of diastereomers 3 and 4 of the C¿-2 isomer were 11 and 10%, respectively. The 32P-postlabelling of BMO-modified DNA yielded four isomers in the ratio of 4:4:1:1 with overall recoveries being 14%. The two isomers had a half-life of 270 min (C¿-1 isomer) and 300 min (C¿-2 isomer) which is in accordance with the stability predicted by other similar adduct experiments. The molecular modelling experiments showed more pronounced restricted rotation of butadiene residue in C¿-2 isomers due to steric interaction between butadiene residue at N-7 and O(6) atom of guanine than in C¿-1 isomer. The butadiene residue also leads to steric overcrowding at 3'-phosphate in C¿-2 isomer which probably restricts the access to the active site of T4 polynucleotide kinase.

2'-Deoxy-GTP in the microtubule cytoskeleton of neuronal cells cultured with nerve growth factor.

Tubulin, widely recognized as a GTP/GDP-binding protein, has been isolated in its polymerized state from rat PC12 cells and embryonic chick dorsal root ganglion neurons by Triton X-100 detergent extraction of the cytoskeletal fraction. Perchloric acid extraction and deproteinization of this fraction permitted subsequent analysis of nucleotide identity and content by high performance liquid chromatography. PC12 cells grown in the absence of nerve growth factor (NGF) contained ADP, ATP, GDP, and GTP at levels consistent with the actin and tubulin content of the cytoskeletal fraction. Microtubules from PC12 cells cultured in the presence of NGF contain an additional nucleotide that we have identified as dGTP. Analysis of whole cell nucleotide extracts from PC12 cells grown in the absence or presence of NGF revealed no evidence for the presence of dGTP at 4 and 14 days, respectively. We have determined that embryonic chick dorsal root ganglion neurons also contain this deoxyribonucleotide, and we found virtually no ADP or ATP in the extracted dorsal root ganglion cytoskeletal fraction. On the basis of metabolic labeling studies with [14C] guanine, we have inferred that the presence of dGTP in NGF-treated PC12 cells probably arises either from binding to the nonexchangeable nucleotide site of tubulin undergoing dynamic assembly/disassembly or from binding to the exchangeable site of tubulin subsequently incorporated into highly stabilized microtubules.

Identification of N2-substituted 2'-deoxyguanosine-3'-phosphate adducts detected by 32P-postlabeling of styrene-oxide-treated DNA.

Styrene-7,8-oxide, a metabolite of the industrial chemical styrene, was reacted with calf thymus DNA. Six adducts were detected by 32P-postlabeling. The two diastereomers of N2-(2-hydroxy-1-phenylethyl)-2'-deoxyguanosine-3'-phosphate and the corresponding N-1 substituted compounds were isolated from the aqueous reaction mixture of 2'-deoxyguanosine-3'-phosphate and styrene-7,8-oxide (pH 10.5) and characterized by liquid secondary-ion and four-sector tandem mass spectrometry, ultraviolet, circular dichroism, and fluorescence spectrophotometry, and 32P-postlabeling. Co-chromatography of the DNA-styrene-7,8-oxide reaction products with the synthetic standards showed that adduct no. 6 arose as a result of aralkylation at the N2-exocyclic site of the guanine base. The recovery of the N2-adduct was dependent on the concentration of the solvent used during octadecylsilyl chromatography. These studies revealed that the N2-guanosine derivatives are the major products of the reaction of DNA and styrene-7,8-oxide in vitro detected by 32P-postlabeling.

Measurement by 32P-postlabelling of 7-methylguanine levels in white blood cell DNA of healthy individuals and cancer patients treated with dacarbazine and procarbazine. Human data and method development for 7-alkylguanines.

A 32P-postlabelling method was developed to measure 7-methylguanine in human DNA. DNA was digested to nucleotides and 7-methyl-2'-deoxyguanosine-3'-monophosphate (7-me-dGMP) was isolated from normal nucleotides using strong anion-exchange column chromatography. Overall the method gave 35-45% yield as measured with DNA methylated with tritiated dimethyl sulfate. Total white blood cell DNA from healthy non-smokers (n = 17) contained from 2.5 7-methylguanine residues/10(7) nucleotides, corrected for the losses in preparation. Among four patients sampled immediately after a total dose of 1050-2800 mg of dacarbazine or procarbazine, the mean adduct level was 57 7-methylguanine residues/10(7) nucleotides. As further method development, we also investigated the phosphorylation reaction by T4 polynucleotide kinase using dinucleotides containing 7-methylguanine and corresponding imidazole ring-opened products as substrates. We found that imidazole ring-opened dTpdG-Me is resistant to digestion with deoxyribonuclease I, snake venom phosphodiesterase and prostatic acid phosphatase. It is quantitatively phosphorylated at femtomolar levels. This method is shown to be suitable for the detection of 7-methylguanine in DNA, and is suggested to be the approach most suited to postlabelling large and labile 7-alkylguanines in DNA.

Excretion kinetics of the DNA adducts of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) formed in vitro in rat urine.

The main adduct of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-Pt) with DNA, cis-[Pt(NH3)2(dGpdG)], was administered i.p. to rats. Urine was collected daily for 4 days. The adduct was purified by a weak cation exchanger and quantitated by HPLC with UV detection. The recovery of the adduct was 30.0 +/- 7.0% (mean +/- SEM). The main reason for the low recovery was the chemical instability of cis-[Pt(NH3)2 (dGpdG)] in urine as shown in an in vitro incubation. Adjusted for this instability the recovery in urine was greater than 70% of the dose. When cis-Pt-DNA (the molar ratio of cis-Pt to nucleotide = 1:50) was administered i.p. to rats only 1.25 +/- 0.23% of platinum was excreted in urine in the form of cis-[Pt(NH3)2(dGpdG)] and cis-[Pt(NH3)2(dApdG)] during the first 4 days. If the removal of the cis-Pt-DNA adducts from human tissues is to be followed, their possible slow excretion and chemical instability in urine needs to be considered.

Mechanisms of chemical mutagenesis and carcinogenesis: effects on DNA replication of methylation at the O6-guanine position of dGTP.

The incorporation of O6-methyl-dGTP during DNA replication in vitro by 'Klenow' E. coli pol I was determined. O6-Methyl-dGTP was found to: (i) incorporate opposite T and C template residues, with a greater than 20-fold preference for T, and (ii) arrest DNA synthesis when incorporated in place of dATP at all but pyrimidine-rich growing-strand sequences. The significance of O6-methyl-dGTP incorporation during DNA biosynthesis in vivo for mutagenesis and carcinogenesis is discussed.