In vitro formation of DNA adducts by cisplatin, lobaplatin and oxaliplatin in calf thymus DNA in solution and in cultured human cells.

Two interesting representatives of a new generation of platinum-based cytostatic drugs that are currently being tested in clinical trials are lobaplatin [1,2-diaminomethylcyclobutane platinum(II) lactate] and oxaliplatin [1,2-diaminocyclohexane platinum (II) oxalate]. Since little is known about the DNA adduct formation of these compounds, we studied their formation in DNA in vitro in calf thymus DNA and in cells. The major adducts formed in vitro were the Pt-GG and Pt-AG intrastrand crosslinks. The latter adducts could be detected using a recently developed 32P-postlabelling method. Using both this assay and atomic absorption spectroscopy, it was shown that there is a substantially higher rate of the in vitro adduct formation by cisplatin, compared with lobaplatin and oxaliplatin. Platinum concentrations required to obtain 90% cell kill during a 2 h incubation of A2780 cells were 15 microM for cisplatin and oxaliplatin and 22 microM for lobaplatin. Using an antiserum originally raised against cisplatin-treated DNA, we were also able to detect platinum-DNA adducts induced by lobaplatin and oxaliplatin. Maximal nuclear staining for all three compounds was observed after a 4 h post-incubation period. The nuclear staining level induced by cisplatin was about 10-fold higher than after lobaplatin and oxaliplatin treatment. GG and AG adducts, measured by 32P-postlabelling, also showed maximum levels at about 4 h after treatment. Relative GG peak levels were 4:1:3 for cisplatin, lobaplatin and oxaliplatin, respectively. The ratios of GG over AG intrastrand crosslinks in the A2780 cells were not significantly different for the various compounds. In conclusion, the 32P-postlabelling technique has been shown to be appropriate for adduct analysis, not only for the classical Pt compounds cisplatin and carboplatin but also for novel platinum compounds like lobaplatin and oxaliplatin. Results indicated large differences in reactivity of the latter compounds to DNA in vitro, compared with cisplatin. This difference was smaller in cells, suggesting enhancement of adduct formation by certain cellular mechanisms and/or compounds. From these studies, no conclusions can be drawn with respect to the cytotoxicity of the different Pt-GG and Pt-AG intrastrand crosslinks formed by these compounds.

A 32P-postlabelling assay for the detection of alkylphosphotriesters in DNA.

Within the group of DNA alkylation products, phosphotriesters (PTE) are among the most stable lesions. Hence, alkyl PTE are attractive biomarkers for DNA alkylation monitoring purposes. We have developed a 32P-postlabelling method for the analysis of both methyl and ethyl PTE in DNA. Since PTE bonds are not cleaved by any known DNA degrading enzyme, they are easily obtainable as PTE dinucleoside monophospates. A purification step, separating the PTE dinucleoside monophosphates from interfering compounds, such as mono- or oligonucleotides resulting from incomplete digestion of DNA, was developed using Waters C18 Sep-Pak cartridges. Phosphotriester dinucleoside monophosphates themselves are not a substrate for phosphorylation by polynucleotide kinase. Polynucleotide kinase probably requires a negative charge on the phosphate closest to the 5'-end. Therefore, prior to the post-labelling step they have to be converted into either phosphodiester dinucleoside monophosphates or 3'-phosphate alkylated mononucleotides by treatment with alkali. For analysis of the labelled compounds we developed a two-step procedure, combining TLC and HPLC, that gave very straightforward information on the composition of the rather complex mixture. The detection limit is approximately fmol PTE.

Detection of platinum-DNA adducts by 32P-postlabelling.

We developed a sensitive 32P-postlabeling method for the detection of bifunctional intrastrand crosslinks d(Pt-GpG) and d(Pt-ApG) in DNA in vitro and in vivo. After enzymatic digestion of DNA the positively charged platinum adducts were purified from unplatinated products, using strong cation exchange chromatography. Subsequently the samples were deplatinated with cyanide, because platinated dinucleotides are very poor substrates for polynucleotide kinase. The excess of cyanide was removed using Sep-pak C18 cartridges, and the resulting dinucleoside monophosphates d(GpG) and d(ApG) were subsequently postlabelled. Analysis of the postlabelling mixture was performed by a combined TLC and HPLC-procedure. Good correlations with existing methods (AAS, immunocytochemistry and ELISA) were found in DNA samples treated in vitro and in vivo with cis- or carboplatin. The detection limit of the assay was 1 adduct/10(7) nucleotides in a 10 micrograms DNA sample.

Chemical properties of the ultimate metabolites of 2-amino-5-phenylpyridine (PHE-P-1) and its ortho-methyl derivative.

The reactivity of the N-acetoxy metabolite of 2-amino-5-phenylpyridine (Phe-P-1), a pyrolysis product of phenylalanine, towards 2'-deoxyguanosine (dG), 2'-deoxyguanosine-3'-monophosphate (dGMP) and DNA was studied and compared with that of the ortho-methyl derivative. Reaction of 2-acetoxyamino-5-phenylpyridine (N-OAc-APP) with dG resulted in substitution at the 8-position of this nucleoside by the ortho carbon of the amine. The major reaction, however, was acetylation of dG. In contrast, 2-acetoxyamino-3-methyl-5-phenyl-pyridine (N-OAc-MeAPP) mainly attacked the 8-position of dG by the exocyclic nitrogen and hardly any acetylation of the nucleoside occurred. The adducts were chromatographically isolated and characterized by their mass and NMR spectra. Upon reaction of N-acetoxy compounds with DNA and dGMP, formation of the same adducts was observed, besides the formation of minor amounts of unidentified compounds, as was established by 32P-postlabelling analysis. The amount of DNA-bound amine, formed by the interaction of N-OAc-APP with DNA, was approximately 15 times smaller than that observed after the reaction with the corresponding ortho-methyl derivative under the same conditions.

32P-postlabelling analysis of alkylphosphotriesters in DNA.

We have developed a highly sensitive 32P-postlabelling assay for the detection of alkylphosphotriesters in DNA using selective enzymatic DNA hydrolysis, sample preparation by C18 Sep-Pak solid phase extraction and product analysis by HPLC. The assay provides information on the quantity of the alkylphosphotriesters and gives some clues with respect to their identity.

Repair and replication of plasmids with site-specific 8-oxodG and 8-AAFdG residues in normal and repair-deficient human cells.

The in vivo mutagenicity of 7-hydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and N-(guanin-8-yl)-N-acetyl-2-aminofluorene (8-AAFdG) in human cells was determined by transfecting various cell lines with plasmids that carried a single adduct at a defined site. 8-OxodG is one of the many DNA modifications formed by oxygen radicals, and was found to be highly miscoding during replication with purified DNA polymerases in vitro. Here we show that the frequency of mutations induced by 8-oxodG during replication in vivo is at most only 2% above background. The most predominant mutation found was a single G----T transversion. The frequency of this transversion was found to be 3 to 5-fold increased in excision repair deficient XP-A cells. Interestingly, also the replication of 8-oxodG containing plasmids was significantly impaired (approximately 4-fold) in the XP-A cells, but not in HeLa cells, normal fibroblasts or XP-A revertant cells. When 8-AAFdG containing plasmids were used, the mutation frequencies did not exceed background levels (less than 2%) with any of the cell lines tested. The presence of 8-AAFdG almost completely inhibited plasmid replication (more than 50-fold) in XP-A cells. Apparently, both 8-AAFdG and 8-oxodG are not or poorly repaired in these cells, causing a block of DNA replication. This suggests that both lesions are substrates for excision repair, although to a varying extent.

Solid-phase synthesis of DNA fragments containing the modified base 7-hydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine.

The 5'-(4,4'-dimethoxytrityl) protected 3'-(2-cyanoethoxy)-N,N-diisopropylphosphoramidite of 7-hydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxy-guanosine, the exocyclic amino and lactam functions of which are protected with acetyl and diphenylcarbamoyl groups, respectively, has been prepared from the 8-bromo derivatives of deoxy- and riboguanosine. This synthon, in combination with standard d-nucleoside 3'-(2-cyanoethoxy)-N,N-diisopropylphosphoramidites, was applied successfully to a solid-phase synthesis. Well-defined oligodeoxyribonucleotides containing a 7-hydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine residue at predetermined positions were obtained after deprotection with methanolic ammonia and purification by gel filtration.

Preparation of covalently linked DNA-RNA hybrids and arabinocytidine containing DNA fragments.

It will be demonstrated that 5'-O-DMT-N-acyl-deoxyribonucleosides, 5'-O-Lev-2'-O-MTHP-N-acyl-ribonucleosides and, also, 2'-O-MTHP-N-acyl-ara-cytidine can be coupled, via the hydroxybenzotriazole phosphotriester approach, to afford two types of DNA-RNA hybrids as well as ara-C containing DNA-fragments. The final removal of acid-labile DMT and MTHP groups could be effected by 1 h treatment with 80% acetic acid of the otherwise unprotected DNA-RNA hybrids. The same acidic hydrolysis did not result in complete removal of the 2'-O-MTHP group from the ara-C unit. Complete deblocking was accomplished after an additional 2 h aqueous HC1 (0.01 M; pH 2.00) treatment.

Preparation of the individual diastereomers of adenylyl-(2'-5')-P-thioadenylyl-(2'-5')-adenosine and their 5'-phosphorylated derivatives.

The individual diastereomers of trimer A2'p5'A2'p(s)5'A, containing one phosphorothioate linkage, were prepared via a modified hydroxybenzotriazole phosphotriester approach. The 5'-phosphorylated derivatives of the latter compounds were obtained after phosphorylation with a 6-trifluoromethyl-1-benzotriazolyl activated phosphoromorpholidate.