Contribution of a low-barrier hydrogen bond to catalysis is not significant in ketosteroid isomerase.

Low-barrier hydrogen bonds (LBHBs) have been proposed to have important influences on the enormous reaction rate increases achieved by many enzymes. Δ(5)-3-ketosteroid isomerase (KSI) catalyzes the allylic isomerization of Δ(5)-3-ketosteroid to its conjugated Δ(4)-isomers at a rate that approaches the diffusion limit. Tyr14, a catalytic residue of KSI, has been hypothesized to form an LBHB with the oxyanion of a dienolate steroid intermediate generated during the catalysis. The unusual chemical shift of a proton at 16.8 ppm in the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum has been attributed to an LBHB between Tyr14 Oη and C3-O of equilenin, an intermediate analogue, in the active site of D38N KSI. This shift in the spectrum was not observed in Y30F/Y55F/D38N and Y30F/Y55F/Y115F/D38N mutant KSIs when each mutant was complexed with equilenin, suggesting that Tyr14 could not form LBHB with the intermediate analogue in these mutant KSIs. The crystal structure of Y30F/Y55F/Y115F/D38N-equilenin complex revealed that the distance between Tyr14 Oη and C3-O of the bound steroid was within a direct hydrogen bond. The conversion of LBHB to an ordinary hydrogen bond in the mutant KSI reduced the binding affinity for the steroid inhibitors by a factor of 8.1-11. In addition, the absence of LBHB reduced the catalytic activity by only a factor of 1.7-2. These results suggest that the amount of stabilization energy of the reaction intermediate provided by LBHB is small compared with that provided by an ordinary hydrogen bond in KSI.

[Fragmentation pathways of five estrogens using electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry].

The fragmentation pathways of five estrogens (estradiol, estrone, equilin sulfate, 17 a-dihydroequilin sulfate and equilenin sulfate) have been studied with high resolution and high mass accuracy using electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-Q-TOF/MS) in the negative ion mode. Molecular weights were obtained from [M-H](-) ions in the product ion spectra. The results indicate that the five structurally similar estrogens have similar fragmentation pathways. Using their stable isotope forms as internal reference compounds, the accurate mass and composition of the fragment ions were determined. During collision-induced dissociation (CID), cleavage is initiated by loss of oxygen atoms from carbon-17, after which D and C rings cleave sequentially and rearrange to finally form stable conjugate structures with highly abundant characteristic fragment ions at m/z 183 (accompanied by m/z 181), m/z 169 and m/z 145 (accompanied by m/z 143). Understanding these characteristic fragmentation pathways of estrogens will be helpful in identifying the structures of steroid hormones in general.

The naphthol selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), LY2066948, is oxidized to an o-quinone analogous to the naphthol equine estrogen, equilenin.

o-Quinone forming estrogens and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) have been associated with carcinogenesis. LY2066948, a novel SERM in development by Eli Lilly for the treatment of uterine fibroids and myomas, has structural similarity to the equine estrogen equilenin present in hormone replacement formulations; both contain a naphthol group susceptible to oxidative metabolism to o-quinones. LY2066948 was synthesized and assayed for antiestrogenic activity, and in cell culture was confirmed to be a more potent antiestrogen than the prototypical SERM, 4-hydroxytamoxifen. Oxidation of LY2066948 with 2-iodoxybenzoic acid gave an o-quinone (t(1/2)=3.9 ± 0.1h) which like 4-hydroxyequilenin-o-quinone (t(1/2)=2.5 ± 0.2 h) was observed to be exceptionally long-lived with the potential to cause cytotoxicity and/or genotoxicity. In model reactions with tyrosinase, the catechol metabolites of LY2066948 and equilenin were products; interestingly, in the presence of ascorbate to inhibit autoxidation, these catechols were formed quantitatively. Tyrosinase incubations in the presence of GSH gave the expected GSH conjugates resulting from trapping of the o-quinones, which were characterized by LC-MS/MS. Incubations of LY2066948 or equilenin with rat liver microsomes also gave detectable o-quinone trapped GSH conjugates; however, as observed with other SERMs, oxidative metabolism of LY2066948 mainly occurred on the amino side chain to yield the N-dealkylated metabolite. CYP1B1 is believed to be responsible for extra-hepatic generation of genotoxic estrogen quinones and o-quinone GSH conjugates were detected in equilenin incubations. However, in corresponding incubations with CYP1B1 supersomes, no o-quinone GSH conjugates of LY2066948 were detected. These studies suggest that although the naphthol group is susceptible to oxidative metabolism to long-lived o-quinones, the formation of these quinones by cytochrome P450 can be attenuated by the chemistry of the remainder of the molecule as in the case of LY2066948.

Specificity of human aldo-keto reductases, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase, and carbonyl reductases to redox-cycle polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon diones and 4-hydroxyequilenin-o-quinone.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are suspect human lung carcinogens and can be metabolically activated to remote quinones, for example, benzo[a]pyrene-1,6-dione (B[a]P-1,6-dione) and B[a]P-3,6-dione by the action of either P450 monooxygenase or peroxidases, and to non-K region o-quinones, for example B[a]P-7,8-dione, by the action of aldo keto reductases (AKRs). B[a]P-7,8-dione also structurally resembles 4-hydroxyequilenin o-quinone. These three classes of quinones can redox cycle, generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), and produce the mutagenic lesion 8-oxo-dGuo and may contribute to PAH- and estrogen-induced carcinogenesis. We compared the ability of a complete panel of human recombinant AKRs to catalyze the reduction of PAH o-quinones in the phenanthrene, chrysene, pyrene, and anthracene series. The specific activities for NADPH-dependent quinone reduction were often 100-1000 times greater than the ability of the same AKR isoform to oxidize the cognate PAH-trans-dihydrodiol. However, the AKR with the highest quinone reductase activity for a particular PAH o-quinone was not always identical to the AKR isoform with the highest dihydrodiol dehydrogenase activity for the respective PAH-trans-dihydrodiol. Discrete AKRs also catalyzed the reduction of B[a]P-1,6-dione, B[a]P-3,6-dione, and 4-hydroxyequilenin o-quinone. Concurrent measurements of oxygen consumption, superoxide anion, and hydrogen peroxide formation established that ROS were produced as a result of the redox cycling. When compared with human recombinant NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) and carbonyl reductases (CBR1 and CBR3), NQO1 was a superior catalyst of these reactions followed by AKRs and last CBR1 and CBR3. In A549 cells, two-electron reduction of PAH o-quinones causes intracellular ROS formation. ROS formation was unaffected by the addition of dicumarol, suggesting that NQO1 is not responsible for the two-electron reduction observed and does not offer protection against ROS formation from PAH o-quinones.

Unexpected hormonal activity of a catechol equine estrogen metabolite reveals reversible glutathione conjugation.

4-Hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN) is a major phase I metabolite of the equine estrogens present in widely prescribed hormone replacement formulations. 4-OHEN is autoxidized to an electrophilic o-quinone that has been shown to redox cycle, generating ROS, and to covalently modify proteins and DNA and thus potentially to act as a chemical carcinogen. To establish the ability of 4-OHEN to act as a hormonal carcinogen at the estrogen receptor (ER), estrogen responsive gene expression and proliferation were studied in ER(+) breast cancer cells. Recruitment by 4-OHEN of ER to estrogen responsive elements (ERE) of DNA in MCF-7 cells was also studied and observed. 4-OHEN was a potent estrogen, with additional weak activity associated with binding to the arylhydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The potency of 4-OHEN toward classical ERalpha mediated activity was unexpected given the reported rapid autoxidation and trapping of the resultant quinone by GSH. Addition of thiols to cell cultures did not attenuate the estrogenic activity of 4-OHEN, and preformed thiol conjugates added to cell incubations only marginally reduced ERE-luciferase induction. On reaction of the 4OHEN-GSH conjugate with NADPH, 4-OHEN was observed to be regenerated at a rate dependent upon NADPH concentration, indicating that intracellular nonenzymatic and enzymatic regeneration of 4-OHEN accounts for the observed estrogenic activity of 4-OHEN. 4-OHEN is therefore capable of inducing chemical and hormonal pathways that may contribute to estrogen-dependent carcinogenesis, and trapping by cellular thiols does not provide a mechanism of termination of these pathways.

Redox cycling of catechol estrogens generating apurinic/apyrimidinic sites and 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine via reactive oxygen species differentiates equine and human estrogens.

Metabolic activation of estrogens to catechols and further oxidation to highly reactive o-quinones generates DNA damage including apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites. 4-Hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN) is the major catechol metabolite of equine estrogens present in estrogen replacement formulations, known to cause DNA strand breaks, oxidized bases, and stable and depurinating adducts. However, the direct formation of AP sites by 4-OHEN has not been characterized. In the present study, the induction of AP sites in vitro by 4-OHEN and the endogenous catechol estrogen metabolite, 4-hydroxyestrone (4-OHE), was examined by an aldehyde reactive probe assay. Both 4-OHEN and 4-OHE can significantly enhance the levels of AP sites in calf thymus DNA in the presence of the redox cycling agents, copper ion and NADPH. The B-ring unsaturated catechol 4-OHEN induced AP sites without added copper, whereas 4-OHE required copper. AP sites were also generated much more rapidly by 4-OHEN. For both catechol estrogens, the levels of AP sites correlated linearly with 8-oxo-dG levels, implying that depuriniation resulted from reactive oxygen species (ROS) rather than depurination of estrogen-DNA adducts. ROS modulators such as catalase, which scavenges hydrogen peroxide and a Cu(I) chelator, blocked the formation of AP sites. In MCF-7 breast cancer cells, 4-OHEN significantly enhanced the formation of AP sites with added NADH. In contrast, no significant induction of AP sites was detected in 4-OHE-treated cells. The greater redox activity of the equine catechol estrogen produces rapid oxidative DNA damage via ROS, which is enhanced by redox cycling agents and interestingly by NADPH-dependent quinone oxidoreductase.

Quantitative detection of 4-hydroxyequilenin-DNA adducts in mammalian cells using an immunoassay with a novel monoclonal antibody.

Estrogen-DNA adducts are potential biomarkers for assessing the risk and development of estrogen-associated cancers. 4-Hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN) and 4-hydroxyequilin (4-OHEQ), the metabolites of equine estrogens present in common hormone replacement therapy (HRT) formulations, are capable of producing bulky 4-OHEN-DNA adducts. Although the formation of 4-OHEN-DNA adducts has been reported, their quantitative detection in mammalian cells has not been done. To quantify such DNA adducts, we generated a novel monoclonal antibody (4OHEN-1) specific for 4-OHEN-DNA adducts. The primary epitope recognized is one type of stereoisomers of 4-OHEN-dA adducts and of 4-OHEN-dC adducts in DNA. An immunoassay with 4OHEN-1 revealed a linear dose-response between known amounts of 4-OHEN-DNA adducts and the antibody binding to those adducts, with a detection limit of approximately five adducts/10(8) bases in 1 microg DNA sample. In human breast cancer cells, the quantitative immunoassay revealed that 4-OHEN produces five times more 4-OHEN-DNA adducts than does 4-OHEQ. Moreover, in a mouse model for HRT, oral administration of Premarin increased the levels of 4-OHEN-DNA adducts in various tissues, including the uterus and ovaries, in a time-dependent manner. Thus, we succeeded in establishing a novel immunoassay for quantitative detection of 4-OHEN-DNA adducts in mammalian cells.

Dissecting the paradoxical effects of hydrogen bond mutations in the ketosteroid isomerase oxyanion hole.

The catalytic importance of enzyme active-site interactions is frequently assessed by mutating specific residues and measuring the resulting rate reductions. This approach has been used in bacterial ketosteroid isomerase to probe the energetic importance of active-site hydrogen bonds donated to the dienolate reaction intermediate. The conservative Tyr16Phe mutation impairs catalysis by 10(5)-fold, far larger than the effects of hydrogen bond mutations in other enzymes. However, the less-conservative Tyr16Ser mutation, which also perturbs the Tyr16 hydrogen bond, results in a less-severe 10(2)-fold rate reduction. To understand the paradoxical effects of these mutations and clarify the energetic importance of the Tyr16 hydrogen bond, we have determined the 1.6-A resolution x-ray structure of the intermediate analogue, equilenin, bound to the Tyr16Ser mutant and measured the rate effects of mutating Tyr16 to Ser, Thr, Ala, and Gly. The nearly identical 200-fold rate reductions of these mutations, together with the 6.4-A distance observed between the Ser16 hydroxyl and equilenin oxygens in the x-ray structure, strongly suggest that the more moderate rate effect of this mutant is not due to maintenance of a hydrogen bond from Ser at position 16. These results, additional spectroscopic observations, and prior structural studies suggest that the Tyr16Phe mutation results in unfavorable interactions with the dienolate intermediate beyond loss of a hydrogen bond, thereby exaggerating the apparent energetic benefit of the Tyr16 hydrogen bond relative to the solution reaction. These results underscore the complex energetics of hydrogen bonding interactions and site-directed mutagenesis experiments.

NMR and computational studies of stereoisomeric equine estrogen-derived DNA cytidine adducts in oligonucleotide duplexes: opposite orientations of diastereomeric forms.

The equine estrogens equilin (EQ) and equilenin (EN) are the active components in the widely prescribed hormone replacement therapy formulation Premarin. Metabolic activation of EQ and EN generates the catechol 4-hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN) that autoxidizes to the reactive o-quinone form in aerated aqueous solutions. The o-quinones react predominantly with C, and to a lesser extent with A and G, to form premutagenic cyclic covalent DNA adducts in vitro and in vivo. To obtain insights into the structural properties of these biologically important DNA lesions, we have synthesized site-specifically modified oligonucleotides containing the stereoisomeric 1'S,2'R,3'R-4-OHEN-C3 and 1'R,2'S,3'S-4-OHEN-C4 adducts derived from the reaction of 4-OHEN with the C in the oligonucleotide 5'-GGTAGCGATGG in aqueous solution. A combined NMR and computational approach was utilized to determine the conformational characteristics of the two major 4-OHEN-C3 and 4-OHEN-C4 stereoisomeric adducts formed in this oligonucleotide hybridized with its complementary strand. In both cases, the modified C adopts an anti glycosidic bond conformation; the equilenin distal ring protrudes into the minor groove while its two proximal hydroxyl groups are exposed on the major groove side of the DNA duplex. The bulky 4-OHEN-C adduct distorts the duplex within the central GC*G portion, but Watson-Crick pairing is maintained adjacent to C* in both stereoisomeric adducts. For the 4-OHEN-C3 adduct, the equilenin rings are oriented toward the 5'-end of the modified strand, while in 4-OHEN-C4 the equilenin is 3'-directed. Correspondingly, the distortions of the double-helical structures are more pronounced on the 5'- or the 3'-side of the lesion, respectively. These differences in stereoisomeric adduct conformations may play a role in the processing of these lesions in cellular environments.

Development of a liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry method for analysis of stable 4-hydroxyequilenin-DNA adducts in human breast cancer cells.

Estrogen-DNA adducts are potential biomarkers for assessing cancer risk and progression in estrogen-dependent cancer. 4-Hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN), the major catechol metabolite of equine estrogens present in hormone replacement therapy formulations, autoxidizes to a reactive o-quinone that subsequently causes DNA damage. The formation of stable stereoisomeric cyclic 4-OHEN-DNA adducts has been reported in vitro and in vivo, but their removal by DNA repair processes in cells has not been determined. Such studies have been hampered by low yields of cyclic adducts and poor reproducibility when treating cells in culture with 4-OHEN. These problems are attributed in part to the instability of 4-OHEN in aerobic, aqueous media. We show herein that low yields and reproducibility can be overcome by 4-OHEN diacetate as a novel, cell-permeable 4-OHEN precursor, in combination with a sensitive LC-MS/MS method developed for detecting adducts in human breast cancer cells. This method involves isolation of cellular DNA, DNA digestion to deoxynucleosides, followed by the addition of an isotope-labeled internal standard (4-OHEN-(15)N(5)-dG adduct) prior to analysis by LC-MS/MS. A concentration-dependent increase in adduct levels was observed in MCF-7 cells after exposure to 4-OHEN diacetate. The chemical stabilities of the adducts were also investigated to confirm that adducts were stable under assay conditions. In conclusion, this newly developed LC-MS/MS method allows detection and relative quantification of 4-OHEN-DNA adducts in human breast cancer cells, which could be adapted for adduct detection in human samples.

Oxidative DNA damage in XPC-knockout and its wild mice treated with equine estrogen.

Long-term hormone replacement therapy with equine estrogens is associated with a higher risk of breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers. Reactive oxygen species generated through redox cycling of equine estrogen metabolites may damage cellular DNA. Such oxidative stress may be linked to the development of cancers in reproductive organs. Xeroderma pigmentosa complementation group C-knockout ( Xpc-KO) and wild-type mice were treated with equilenin (EN), and the formation of 7,8-dihydro-8-oxodeoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) was determined as a marker of typical oxidative DNA damage, using liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. The level of hepatic 8-oxodG in wild-type mice treated with EN (5 or 50 mg/kg/day) was significantly increased by approximately 220% after 1 week, as compared with mice treated with vehicle. In the uterus also, the level of 8-oxodG was significantly increased by more than 150% after 2 weeks. Similar results were observed with Xpc-KO mice, indicating that Xpc does not significantly contribute to the repair of oxidative damage. Oxidative DNA damage generated by equine estrogens may be involved in equine estrogen carcinogenesis.

Conformational properties of equilenin-DNA adducts: stereoisomer and base effects.

Equilin and equilenin, components of the hormone replacement therapy drug Premarin, can be metabolized to the catechol 4-hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN). The quinoids produced by 4-OHEN oxidation react with dC, dA, and dG to form unusual stable cyclic adducts, which have been found in human breast tumor tissue. Four stereoisomeric adducts have been identified for each base. These 12 Premarin-derived adducts provide a unique opportunity for analyzing effects of stereochemistry and base damage on DNA structure and consequently its function. Our computational studies have shown that these adducts, with obstructed Watson-Crick hydrogen-bond edges and near-perpendicular ring systems, have limited conformational flexibility and near-mirror-image conformations in stereoisomer pairs. The dC and dA adducts can adopt major- and minor-groove positions in the double helix, but the dG adducts are positioned only in the major groove. In all cases, opposite orientations of the equilenin rings with respect to the 5' --> 3' direction of the damaged strand are found in stereoisomer pairs derived from the same base, and no Watson-Crick pairing is possible. However, detailed structural properties in DNA duplexes are distinct for each stereoisomer of each damaged base. These differences may underlie observed differential stereoisomer and base-dependent mutagenicities and repair susceptibilities of these adducts.

Analysis of steroidal estrogens as pyridine-3-sulfonyl derivatives by liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometry.

Sulfonyl chlorides substituted with functional groups having high proton affinity can serve as derivatization reagents to enhance the sensitivity for steroidal estrogens in liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). The most commonly used reagent for derivatization of estrogens for LC-ESI-MS/MS is dansyl chloride. In this study, we compared dansyl chloride, 1,2-dimethylimidazole-4-sulfonyl (DMIS) chloride, pyridine-3-sulfonyl (PS) chloride, and 4-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)benzenesulfonyl (PBS) chloride for derivatization of 17beta-estradiol (E2) prior to LC-ESI-MS/MS. The product ion spectra of the dansyl and DMIS derivatives were dominated by ions representing derivatization reagent moieties. In contrast, the product ion spectrum of the PS derivative of E2 and, to a lesser extent, the PBS derivative, showed analyte-specific fragment ions. Derivatization with PS chloride was therefore chosen for further investigation. The product ion spectrum of the PS derivative of E2 showed intense ions at m/z 272, assigned to the radical E2 cation, and at m/z 350, attributed to the loss of SO(2) from the [M+H](+) ion. Third-stage mass spectrometry of the PS derivative of E2 with isolation and collisional activation of the m/z 272 ion resulted in steroid C and D ring cleavages analogous to those observed in electron ionization mass spectrometry. The product ion spectra of the PS derivatives of estrone, 17alpha-ethinylestradiol, equilin, and equilenin showed similar estrogen-specific ions. Using derivatization with PS chloride, we developed an LC-ESI-MS/MS method with multiple reaction monitoring of primary and confirmatory precursor-to-product ion transitions for the determination of E2 in serum.

Mechanism of translesion synthesis past an equine estrogen-DNA adduct by Y-family DNA polymerases.

4-Hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN)-dC is a major, potentially mutagenic DNA adduct induced by equine estrogens used for hormone replacement therapy. To study the miscoding property of 4-OHEN-dC and the involvement of Y-family human DNA polymerases (pols) eta, kappa and iota in that process, we incorporated 4-OHEN-dC into oligodeoxynucleotides and used them as templates in primer extension reactions catalyzed by pol eta, kappa and iota. Pol eta inserted dAMP opposite 4-OHEN-dC, accompanied by lesser amounts of dCMP and dTMP incorporation and base deletion. Pol kappa promoted base deletions as well as direct incorporation of dAMP and dCMP. Pol iota worked in conjunction with pol kappa, but not with pol eta, at a replication fork stalled by the adduct, resulting in increased dTMP incorporation. Our results provide a direct evidence that Y-family DNA pols can switch with one another during synthesis past the lesion. No direct incorporation of dGMP, the correct base, was observed with Y-family enzymes. The miscoding potency of 4-OHEN-dC may be associated with the development of reproductive cancers observed in women receiving hormone replacement therapy.

4-hydroxyequilenin-adenine lesions in DNA duplexes: stereochemistry, damage site, and structure.

The equine estrogens, equilin and equilenin, are major components of the drug Premarin, the most widely used formula for hormone replacement therapy. The derivative 4-hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN), a major phase I metabolite of equilin and equilenin, autoxidizes to potent cytotoxic quinoids that can react in vitro and in vivo with cytosine and adenine in DNA. Unique cyclic adducts containing the same bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-type connection ring are produced. Each base adduct has four stereoisomers. In order to elucidate the structural effects of A versus C modification, we have carried out molecular dynamics simulations of the stereoisomeric 4-OHEN-A adducts in DNA 11-mer duplexes and compared results with an earlier study of the C adducts (Ding, S., Shapiro, R., Geacintov, N.E., and Broyde, S. (2005) Equilenin-Derived DNA Adducts to Cytosine in DNA Duplexes: Structures and Thermodynamics, Biochemistry 44, 14565-14576). Similar stereochemical principles govern the orientations in DNA duplexes of the 4-OHEN-A adducts as for the analogous C adducts, with opposite orientations of the equilenin rings in stereoisomeric pairs of adducts characterized by near-mirror image circular dichroism (CD) spectra. However, the larger purine adducts have unique structural properties in the duplexes that distinguish their characteristics from those of the pyrimidine adducts. Significant differences are observed in terms of hydrogen bonding, stacking, bending, groove dimensions, solvent exposure, and hydrophobic interactions; also, each of the four stereoisomeric 4-OHEN-A adducts exhibit distinct structural features. Each base adduct and stereoisomer distorts the structure of the DNA duplex differently. These characteristics may manifest themselves in terms of differential nucleotide excision repair susceptibilities and mutagenic activities of the 4-OHEN-A and C adducts.

Synthesis and in vitro antibacterial activity of novel heterocyclic derivatives of 18-nor-equilenin.

Syntheses of novel heterocyclic derivatives of 18-nor-equilenin, namely, (12H-11-oxa-17-thia-15-aza-cyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-16-yl)-hydrazine (4a/b) and its fused [1,2,4]triazolo derivatives6H-5-oxa-7-thia-8,9,10a-triaza-pentaleno[4,5-a]phenanthrene (5a/b), 10-methyl-6H-5-oxa-7-thia-8,9,10a-triaza-pentaleno[4,5-a]phenanthrene (6a/b) and tetrazolo derivatives 1-substituted-6H-5-oxa-7-thia-8,9,10,10a-tetraaza-pentaleno[4,5-a]phenanthrene (7a/b) along with their antibacterial activities are reported.

Equilenin-derived DNA adducts to cytosine in DNA duplexes: structures and thermodynamics.

The drug Premarin is the most widely used formula for hormone replacement therapy. However, long-term exposure to estrogens from the Premarin drug increases the risk of breast cancer. Equilin and equilenin, major components of Premarin, are predominantly metabolized to 4-hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN). The quinoids produced by 4-OHEN oxidation react with dG, dA, and dC to form unusual stable cyclic bulky adducts, with four stereoisomers identified for each base adduct. The 4-OHEN-dC adducts are most predominant. They are mutagenic in vitro and have been found in human tumor tissue. We have carried out molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate structures and thermodynamics of the four 4-OHEN-dC stereoisomeric adducts in DNA duplexes. Our results show that the structure of each stereoisomer adduct in duplex DNA is specifically governed by its unique stereochemistry. The bulky adducts, with an obstructed Watson-Crick edge and an equilenin ring system near perpendicular to the damaged cytosine, are located in the B-DNA major or minor groove, with the modified cytosine in the syn or anti conformation, respectively. The DNA duplex structures are distorted, in terms of Watson-Crick pairing at and near the lesion, stacking interactions, and groove dimensions. Stereochemistry determines the orientation of the equilenin rings with respect to the 5'- to 3'-direction of the modified strand, as well as the positioning of the equilenin moiety's methyl and hydroxyl groups for each stereoisomer. The unusual structures and the stereochemical effects underlie their biological processing as miscoding DNA lesions whose mutagenic properties may contribute to breast cancer.

Base selectivity and effects of sequence and DNA secondary structure on the formation of covalent adducts derived from the equine estrogen metabolite 4-hydroxyequilenin.

Equilenin, an important component of a widely prescribed hormone replacement formulation for postmenopausal women, is metabolized by mammalian P450 enzymes to the catechol 4-hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN). The oxidized o-quinone derivative of 4-OHEN is known to form cyclic covalent adducts with DNA [Bolton, J. (1998) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 11, 1113] in vitro and in vivo. The characteristics of 4-OHEN-DNA adduct formation were investigated with the oligonucleotides 5'-d(CCATCGCTACC) (I), its complementary strand 5'-d(GGTAGCGATGG) (II), one rich in C and the other in G, and the duplexes I.II. The identities of the modified bases were elucidated in terms of four stereoisomeric 4-OHEN-2'-deoxynucleoside standards described earlier [Shen et al. (2001) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 11, 94; Embrechts et al. J. Mass Spectrom. 36, 317). The reactions of 4-OHEN with C are favored overwhelmingly in both single-stranded I and II with no guanine adducts observed in either case, and only minor proportions of A adducts were detected in sequence II. However, guanine adducts are observed in oligonucleotides that contain only G and unreactive T residues. The relative levels of cyclic covalent adducts observed in single-stranded I, II, and duplex I.II are approximately 54:21:5, with only the end C groups in I modified in the I.II duplex. When 4-OHEN is reacted with calf thymus DNA, the reaction yield of cyclic adducts is more than approximately 10(3)-fold lower than in I. The cyclic 4-OHEN adducts lead to a pronounced thermal destabilization of duplexes I.II. Overall, cyclic adduct formation is markedly dependent on the sequence context and secondary structure of the DNA. The latter effect is attributed to the poor accessibilities of 4-OHEN to the reactive nucleotide Watson-Crick hydrogen-bonding interface in the interior of the duplex. In the single-stranded oligonucleotides I and II, the strikingly different selectivities of adduct formation are attributed to the formation of noncovalent preassociation complexes that favor reaction geometries with C, rather than with A or G. Finally, the levels of several typical biomarkers of oxidative DNA damage (including 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine) are formed in I in aqueous solutions with a yield at least 10 times smaller than the yield of cyclic 4-OHEN-dC adducts under identical reaction conditions.

Translesion synthesis past equine estrogen-derived 2'-deoxycytidine DNA adducts by human DNA polymerases eta and kappa.

Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), composed of equilenin, is associated with increased risk of breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers. Several diastereoisomers of unique dC and dA DNA adducts were derived from 4-hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN), a metabolite of equilenin, and have been detected in women receiving ERT. To explore the miscoding property of 4-OHEN-dC adduct, site-specifically modified oligodeoxynucleotides (Pk-1, Pk-2, Pk-3, and Pk-4) containing a single diastereoisomer of 4-OHEN-dC were prepared by a postsynthetic method. Among them, major 4-OHEN-dC-modified oligodeoxynucleotides (Pk-3 and Pk-4) were used to prepare the templates for primer extension reactions catalyzed by DNA polymerase (pol) alpha, pol eta, and pol kappa. Primer extension was retarded one base prior to the lesion and opposite the lesion; stronger blockage was observed with pol alpha, while with human pol eta or pol kappa, a fraction of the primers was extended past the lesion. Steady-state kinetic studies showed that both pol kappa and pol eta inserted dCMP and dAMP opposite the 4-OHEN-dC and extended past the lesion. Never or less-frequently, dGMP, the correct base, was inserted opposite the lesion. The relative bypass frequency past the 4-OHEN-dC lesion with pol eta was at least 3 orders of magnitude higher than that for pol kappa, as observed for primer extension reactions. The bypass frequency past the dA.4-OHEN-dC adduct in Pk-4 was 2 orders of magnitude more efficient than that past the adduct in Pk-3. Thus, 4-OHEN-dC is a highly miscoding lesion capable of generating C --> T transitions and C --> G transversions. The miscoding frequency and specificity of 4-OHEN-dC were strikingly influenced by the adduct stereochemistry and DNA polymerase used.