Comparison of N-acetylmethionine reactivity between oxaliplatin and an oxaliplatin derivative with chiral (S,S) amine nitrogen atoms.

We have synthesized an oxaliplatin derivative using N,N'-dimethyl-1,2-diaminocyclohexane (Me2dach) as the diamine ligand. The complex (S,R,R,S)-Pt(Me2dach)(oxalate), where S,R,R,S represents the chiralities at N,C,C,N, respectively, was prepared and characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy, COSY, NOESY, and HMQC. Oxaliplatin reacts with N-acetylmethionine (N-AcMet) to form [Pt(dach)(N-AcMet-S)2] and [Pt(dach)(N-AcMet-S,N)], with the former favored at higher molar ratios of N-AcMet. In contrast, Pt(Me2dach)(oxalate) reacts to form [Pt(Me2dach)(N-AcMet-S,O)]+ even in the presence of excess N-AcMet. Molecular mechanics calculations are consistent with significant steric clashes in models of [Pt(Me2dach)(N-AcMet-S)2]. When N-AcMet was reacted with an excess of each platinum complex, the rate of N-AcMet decrease was very similar for both complexes. Thus, the methyl groups at the nitrogen atoms had little to no effect on the addition of the sulfur atom of a single N-acetylmethionine, but they prevented chelation of the amide nitrogen or coordination of a second N-acetylmethionine residue.

Effects of amine ligand bulk and hydrogen bonding on the rate of reaction of platinum(II) diamine complexes with key nucleotide and amino acid residues.

NMR spectroscopy has been used to observe the effects of the amine ligand on the rate of reaction of platinum diamine and triamine complexes with DNA and protein residues. Whereas [Pt(dien)Cl]Cl and [Pt(dien)(D(2)O)](2+) have been known to react faster with thioether residues such as N-AcMet than with 5'-GMP, we found that [Pt(Me(4)en)(D(2)O)(2)](2+) appeared to react faster with 5'-GMP. To quantitatively assess the factors influencing the rates of reaction, rate constants at pH 4 were determined for the reactions of [Pt(en)(D(2)O)(2)](2+) [en = ethylenediamine] and [Pt(Me(4)en)(D(2)O)(2)](2+) with N-AcMet, N-AcHis, 5'-GMP, and Guo (guanosine). In each case the less bulky complex ([Pt(en)(D(2)O)(2)](2+)) reacts more quickly than does the bulkier [Pt(Me(4)en)(D(2)O)(2)](2+), as expected. Both complexes reacted faster with 5'-GMP; however, analysis of the rate constants suggests that the [Pt(en)(D(2)O)(2)](2+) complex favors reaction with 5'-GMP due to hydrogen bonding with the 5'-phosphate, whereas [Pt(Me(4)en)(D(2)O)(2)](2+) disfavors reaction with N-AcMet due to steric clashes. Bulk had relatively little effect on the rate constant with N-AcHis, suggesting that peptides or proteins that coordinate via His residues would not have their reactivity affected by bulky diamine ligands.

Reaction of platinum(II) diamine and triamine complexes with selenomethionine.

We have reacted [Pt(dien)Cl]Cl, [Pt(en)(D(2)O)(2)](2+), and [Pt(Me(4)en)(D(2)O)(2)](2+) [Me(4)en = N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine] with selenomethionine (SeMet). When [Pt(dien)Cl]Cl is reacted with SeMet, [Pt(dien)(SeMet-Se)](2+) is formed; two Se-CH(3) resonances are observed due to the different chiralities at the Se atom upon platination. In a reaction of [Pt(dien)Cl]Cl with an equimolar mixture of SeMet and Met, the SeMet product forms more quickly though a slow equilibrium with approximately equal amounts of both products is reached. [Pt(Me(4)en)(D(2)O)(2)](2+) reacts with SeMet to form [Pt(Me(4)en)(SeMet-Se)(D(2)O)](2+) initially but forms [Pt(Me(4)en)(SeMet-Se,N)](+) ultimately. One stereoisomer of the chelate, assigned to the R chirality at the Se atom, dominates within the first few minutes of reaction. [Pt(en)(D(2)O)(2)](2+) forms a variety of products depending on reaction stoichiometry; when one equivalent or less of SeMet is added, the dominant product is [Pt(en)(SeMet-Se,N)](+). In the presence of excess SeMet, [Pt(en)(SeMet-Se)(2)](2+) is the dominant initially, but displacement of the en ligand occurs leading to [Pt(SeMet-Se,N)(2)] as the eventual product. Displacement of the en ligand from [Pt(en)(SeMet-Se,N)](+) does not occur. In reactions of K(2)PtCl(4) with two equivalents of SeMet, [Pt(SeMet-Se,N)(2)] is formed, and three sets of resonances are observed due to different chiralities at the Se atoms. Only the cis geometric isomers are observed by (1)H and (195)Pt NMR spectroscopy.

Anti-cancer characteristics and ototoxicity of platinum(II) amine complexes with only one leaving ligand.

Unlike cisplatin, which forms bifunctional DNA adducts, monofunctional platinum(II) complexes bind only one strand of DNA and might target cancer without causing auditory side-effects associated with cisplatin treatment. We synthesized the monofunctional triamine-ligated platinum(II) complexes, Pt(diethylenetriamine)Cl, [Pt(dien)Cl]+, and Pt(N,N-diethyldiethylenetriamine)Cl, [Pt(Et2dien)Cl]+, and the monofunctional heterocyclic-ligated platinum(II) complexes, pyriplatin and phenanthriplatin, and compared their 5'-GMP binding rates, cellular compartmental distribution and cellular viability effects. A zebrafish inner ear model was used to determine if the monofunctional complexes and cisplatin caused hearing threshold shifts and reduced auditory hair cell density. The four monofunctional complexes had varied relative GMP binding rates, but similar cytosolic and nuclear compartmental uptake in three cancer cell lines (A549, Caco2, HTB16) and a control cell line (IMR90). Phenanthriplatin had the strongest effect against cellular viability, comparable to cisplatin, followed by [Pt(Et2dien)Cl]+, pyriplatin and [Pt(dien)Cl]+. Phenanthriplatin also produced the highest hearing threshold shifts followed by [Pt(dien)Cl]+, [Pt(Et2dien)Cl]+, cisplatin and pyriplatin. Hair cell counts taken from four regions of the zebrafish saccule showed that cisplatin significantly reduced hair cell density in three regions and phenanthriplatin in only one region, with the other complexes having no significant effect. Utricular hair cell density was not reduced by any of the compounds. Our results suggest that placing greater steric hindrance cis to one side of the platinum coordinating center in monofunctional complexes promotes efficient targeting of the nuclear compartment and guanosine residues, and may be responsible for reducing cancer cell viability. Also, the monofunctional compounds caused hearing threshold shifts with minimal effect on hair cell density, which suggests that they may affect different pathways than cisplatin.

Interaction of N-acetylmethionine with a non-C2-symmetrical platinum diamine complex.

The reaction of N-acetylmethionine (N-AcMet) with the complex [Pt(Et(2)en)(D(2)O)(2)](2+) (Et(2)en=N,N-diethylethylenediamine) was studied by NMR spectroscopy and molecular mechanics calculations. Complexes containing two methionine residues coordinated to the platinum atom were calculated to be relatively high in energy unless the bulk of the methionine residues was directed away from the diethyl group of the Et(2)en ligand. In contrast, sulfur-oxygen chelates were found to be relatively free of steric clashes. Experimentally, two sets of NMR resonances were observed when [Pt(Et(2)en)(D(2)O)(2)](2+) was reacted with N-AcMet; variable temperature experiments indicated intermediate chemical exchange between the two sets of resonances. NMR studies indicated that the resonances corresponded to [Pt(Et(2)en)(N-AcMet-S,O)](+) complexes with the sulfur atom trans to the diethyl group of the Et(2)en ligand. No product with the sulfur atom cis to the diethyl group was observed experimentally even though molecular mechanics calculations suggested that such forms have few steric clashes. The NMR results suggested that the chemical exchange was a result of sulfur chirality inversion. In early stages of the reaction, a [Pt(Et(2)en)(N-AcMet-S)(D(2)O)](+) complex was observed, indicating that coordination of the oxygen to form the chelate is relatively slow.

Factors Influencing the Configuration and Conformation of Diamine Chelate Rings in Platinum(II) Compounds: 2,4-Bis(methylamino)pentane Complexes.

Complexes of the type [PtX(2)(Me(2)DAP)] (Me(2)DAP = 2,4-bis(methylamino)pentane) have been prepared and studied by (1)H NMR spectroscopy, molecular mechanics/dynamics (MMD) calculations, and X-ray crystallography. The coordinated Me(2)DAP ligand has four asymmetric centers. Complexes with an enantiomeric form of the ligand (e.g., RR-Me(2)DAP, RR being the configurations of the two asymmetric carbons) have three possible configurations, namely, SRRR, RRRR, and SRRS at N, C, C, and N, respectively. Indeed these three isomers were obtained in respective ratios of 9:1: approximately 0 for X = I(-) and of 7:3:1 for X = Cl(-). Complexes with the meso ligand (RS-Me(2)DAP) have four possible configurations, i.e., SRSR, RRSS, RRSR, and SRSS at N, C, C, and N, respectively (the latter two constitute an enantiomeric pair). Only the two symmetrical isomers were obtained in the ratios of 9:1 for X = I(-) and 1:1 for X = Cl(-). In addition, the preferred chelate ring conformations in solution (CDCl(3)) were determined to be the following: delta-chair (SRRR), lambda-skew (RRRR), fluxional chair (SRRS), fluxional skew (SRSR), and lambda-chair (RRSS). This information was used to assess the contributions of intra- and interligand interactions to determine the conformational stability. MMD calculations employing the AMBER force field [as modified by Yao et al. (Yao, S.; Plastaras, J. P.; Marzilli, L. G. Inorg. Chem. 1994, 33, 6061) and extended to include parameters for the Cl(-) ligands] provided minimum-energy structures for all five X = Cl(-) complexes. These structures agreed well with the experimentally determined solution conformations except for SRSR, which had a lowest energy delta-chair instead of skew conformation. X-ray structural studies of the SRSR species (X = Cl(-) and X = I(-)) confirmed the delta-chair conformation. The results suggest that an equatorial N-methyl group has nonbonded clashes with the cis chloride ligand; therefore, axial N-methyl groups are favored. However, in solution, the solvent and entropy (connected with fluxionality of conformers) are factors which, to some degree, can overcome the interligand steric interaction.

Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis of U.S. and Italian children's performance on the PASS theory of intelligence as measured by the Cognitive Assessment System.

This study examined Italian and U.S. children's performance on the English and Italian versions, respectively, of the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS; Naglieri & Conway, 2009; Naglieri & Das, 1997), a test based on a neurocognitive theory of intelligence entitled PASS (Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, and Successive; Naglieri & Das, 1997; Naglieri & Otero, 2011). CAS subtest, PASS scales, and Full Scale scores for Italian (N=809) and U.S. (N=1,174) samples, matched by age and gender, were examined. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis results supported the configural invariance of the CAS factor structure between Italians and Americans for the 5- to 7-year-old (root-mean-square error of approximation [RMSEA]=.038; 90% confidence interval [CI]=.033, .043; comparative fit index [CFI]=.96) and 8- to 18-year-old (RMSEA=.036; 90% CI=.028, .043; CFI=.97) age groups. The Full Scale standard scores (using the U.S. norms) for the Italian (100.9) and U.S. (100.5) samples were nearly identical. The scores between the samples for the PASS scales were very similar, except for the Attention Scale (d=0.26), where the Italian sample's mean score was slightly higher. Negligible mean differences were found for 9 of the 13 subtest scores, 3 showed small d-ratios (2 in favor of the Italian sample), and 1 was large (in favor of the U.S. sample), but some differences in subtest variances were found. These findings suggest that the PASS theory, as measured by CAS, yields similar mean scores and showed factorial invariance for these samples of Italian and American children, who differ on cultural and linguistic characteristics.

A bulky platinum triamine complex that reacts faster with guanosine 5'-monophosphate than with N-acetylmethionine.

A bulky platinum triamine complex, [Pt(Me(5)dien)(NO(3))]NO(3) (Me(5)dien=N,N,N',N',N''-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine) has been prepared and reacted in D(2)O with N-acetylmethionine (N-AcMet) and guanosine 5'-monophosphate (5'-GMP); the reactions have been studied using (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Reaction with 5'-GMP leads to two rotamers of [Pt(Me(5)dien)(5'-GMP-N7)](+). Reaction with N-AcMet leads to formation of [Pt(Me(5)dien)(N-AcMet-S)](+). When a sample with equimolar mixtures of [Pt(Me(5)dien)(D(2)O)](2+), 5'-GMP, and N-AcMet was prepared, [Pt(Me(5)dien)(5'-GMP-N7)](+) was the dominant product observed throughout the reaction. This selectivity is the opposite of that observed for a similar reaction of [Pt(dien)(D(2)O)](2+) with 5'-GMP and N-AcMet. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a platinum(II) triamine complex that reacts substantially faster with 5'-GMP than with N-AcMet; the effect is most likely due to steric clashes between the methyl groups of the Me(5)dien ligand and the N-AcMet.

Identifying and profiling scholastic cheaters: their personality, cognitive ability, and motivation.

Despite much research, skepticism remains over the possibility of profiling scholastic cheaters. However, several relevant predictor variables and newer diagnostic tools have been overlooked. We remedy this deficit with a series of three studies. Study 1 was a large-scale survey of a broad range of personality predictors of self-reported cheating. Significant predictors included the Dark Triad (Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy) as well as low agreeableness and low conscientiousness. Only psychopathy remained significant in a multiple regression. Study 2 replicated this pattern using a naturalistic, behavioral indicator of cheating, namely, plagiarism as indexed by the Internet service Turn-It-In. Poor verbal ability was also an independent predictor. Study 3 examined possible motivational mediators of the association between psychopathy and cheating. Unrestrained achievement and moral inhibition were successful mediators whereas fear of punishment was not. Practical implications for researchers and educators are discussed.

Capturing the four-factor structure of psychopathy in college students via self-report.

A number of self-report psychopathy scales have been used successfully in both clinical and nonclinical settings. However, their factor structure does not adequately capture the four factors (Interpersonal, Affective, Lifestyle, and Antisocial) recently identified in the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; Hare, 2003) and related measures. This deficit was addressed by upgrading the Self Report Psychopathy Scale (SRP-II; Hare, Hemphill, & Harpur, 1989). In Study 1 (N = 249), an exploratory factor analysis of this experimental version revealed oblique factors similar to those outlined by Hare (2003). In Study 2 (N = 274), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed this structure, that is, four distinct but intercorrelated factors. The factors exhibited appropriate construct validity in a nomological network of related personality measures. Links with self-reports of offensive activities (including entertainment preferences and behavior) also supported the construct validity of the oblique four-factor model.

Effect of alterations of key active site residues in O6-alkylguanine-DNA Alkyltransferase on its ability to modulate the genotoxicity of 1,2-dibromoethane.

The production of mutations and the reduction in survival of cells treated with alpha,omega-dihaloalkanes is greatly enhanced by the presence of O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT), a DNA repair protein that removes O6-alkylguanine adducts from DNA [Liu, L., Hachey, D. L., Valadez, G., Williams, K. M., Guengerich, F. P., Loktionova, N. A., Kanugula, S., and Pegg, A. E. (2004) J. Biol. Chem. 279, 4250-4259]. The effects of alterations to key residues in the active site of AGT were studied using AGTs with point mutations. It was found that mutants of AGT at positions Tyr114, Arg128, Pro140, Gly156, Gly160, and Tyr158 did not bring about the increase in genotoxicity of 1,2-dibromoethane seen with wild-type AGT, although these mutants, with the exception of those at Tyr114 and Arg128, are known to have sufficient AGT repair function to be able to protect cells from alkylating agents. The R128A mutant was able to react with 1,2-dibromoethane at the Cys145 acceptor site, but the resulting AGT-Cys145S-(CH2)2Br was much less able to produce a covalent adduct with DNA. This result is explained by the need for AGT to induce a structural change in the DNA "flipping" of a guanine nucleotide into the substrate binding pocket where Cys145 is located since the side chain of residue Arg128 plays a critical role in this reaction. Point mutations in AGT at the other sites (Y114A, P140K, and Y158H) reduced the ability of the protein to react with 1,2-dibromoethane as measured by the loss of activity. These results were confirmed by MS analysis of the tryptic peptide that contains the modified Cys145. There was no change in the stability of the AGT-Cys145S-(CH2)2Br intermediate formed in mutants Y158H and P140K. The reaction was studied in detail with mutant P140K using dihaloalkanes of different length; no effect of the mutations was seen with dibromomethane, but an enhanced difference was observed with 1,3-dibromopropane and 1,5-dibromopentane. These results show that even slight alterations in the active site pocket of AGT that do not prevent its ability to protect cells from alkylating agents can block the paradoxical enhancement of the genotoxicity of the larger alpha,omega-dihaloalkanes by reducing the reaction with Cys145.

Effect of amine ligand bulk on the interaction of methionine with platinum(II) diamine complexes.

Molecular mechanics and dynamics calculations have been used in conjunction with experimental data to study the effects of amine ligand bulk on the formation of both guanine and methionine complexes with platinum diamine compounds. The AMBER force field has been supplemented with previous modifications [Yao; et al. Inorg. Chem. 1994, 33, 6061-6077. Cerasino; et al. Inorg. Chem. 1997, 36, 6070-6079] and has been further modified to include parameters for platinum bound to the sulfur atom of methionine. Molecular mechanics calculations with this modified AMBER force field have suggested that a platinum complex with two sulfur-bound methionine ligands and a bulky diamine ligand (N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine, Me(4)en) would have severe interligand clashes; such interligand clashes are less pronounced in bis(9-ethylguanine) complexes. Consistent with these observations, NMR studies with [Pt(Me(4)en)(D(2)O)(2)](2+) have indicated that guanine 5'-monophosphate reacts in a 2:1 guanine:platinum ratio while both methionine and N-acetylmethionine react with only a 1:1 stoichiometry. Methionine forms a chelate via the sulfur and nitrogen atoms whereas N-acetylmethionine forms a chelate via the sulfur and oxygen atoms. The oxygen of the latter chelate can be displaced by the addition of guanosine 5'-monophosphate, although complete displacement of the N-acetylmethionine was not observed.

O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase has opposing effects in modulating the genotoxicity of dibromomethane and bromomethyl acetate.

O(6)-Alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) is a DNA repair protein that removes O(6)-alkylguanine adducts. The interaction of dibromomethane (CH(2)Br(2)) and bromomethyl acetate (BrCH(2)OAc) with AGT was studied in vitro, and the effect of AGT on their toxicity and mutagenicity was investigated using Escherichia coli strain TRG8 (lacking endogenous AGT) that expressed human AGT or its inactive C145A mutant. Both CH(2)Br(2) and BrCH(2)OAc reacted with AGT at its cysteine acceptor site, abolishing its DNA repair activity with the latter agent being much more potent. The formation of AGT-Cys(145)S-CH(2)OAc by BrCH(2)OAc was confirmed by mass spectral analysis, but the presumed AGT-Cys(145)S-CH(2)Br adduct from CH(2)Br(2) was too unstable for such characterization. In the presence of CH(2)Br(2), AGT was covalently cross-linked to an oligodeoxyribonucleotide, 5'-d(AG)(8)-3', but no cross-link was formed by BrCH(2)OAc. Survival of cells exposed to CH(2)Br(2) was reduced, and the number of mutants was greatly increased when wild-type AGT was present. The cytotoxicity of CH(2)Br(2) was similar to that of BrCH(2)CH(2)Br(2), but the mutagenicity was about four times less. Virtually all of the AGT-mediated mutants induced by CH(2)Br(2) in the rpoB gene were at G:C sites with equal numbers of transitions to A:T and transversions to T:A. In contrast, BrCH(2)OAc was more than 10-fold less genotoxic than CH(2)Br(2) and the survival of cells exposed to BrCH(2)OAc was not affected by AGT. The number of mutations (almost all G:C to A:T transitions) induced by BrCH(2)OAc was slightly reduced by the presence of wild-type AGT and substantially increased by the inactive C145A mutant. These results with CH(2)Br(2) are consistent with a mechanism in which reaction at the active site Cys145 residue followed by attack of AGT-Cys(145)S-CH(2)Br at guanine in DNA forms a covalent adduct, which leads to cytotoxicity and to mutagenicity. The results with BrCH(2)OAc suggest that it reacts directly with DNA to form O(6)-(CH(2)OAc)guanine, which, if unrepaired, causes G:C to A:T transitions. Our experiments reveal two novel pathways (direct inactivation of AGT and formation of AGT-Cys(145)S-CH(2)-DNA adducts) by which CH(2)Br(2) may cause damage to the genome in addition to the well-recognized pathway involving activation by GSTs.

Paradoxical enhancement of the toxicity of 1,2-dibromoethane by O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase.

The presence of the DNA repair protein O(6)-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) paradoxically increases the mutagenicity and cytotoxicity of 1,2-dibromoethane (DBE) in Escherichia coli. This enhancement of genotoxicity did not occur when the inactive C145A mutant of human AGT (hAGT) was used. Also, hAGT did not enhance the genotoxicity of S-(2-haloethyl)glutathiones that mimic the reactive product of the reaction of DBE with glutathione, which is catalyzed by glutathione S-transferase. These experiments support a mechanism by which hAGT activates DBE. Studies in vitro showed a direct reaction between purified recombinant hAGT and DBE resulting in a loss of AGT repair activity and a formation of an hAGT-DBE conjugate at Cys(145). A 2-hydroxyethyl adduct was found by mass spectrometry to be present in the Gly(136)-Arg(147) peptide from tryptic digests of AGT reacted with DBE. Incubation of AGT with DBE and oligodeoxyribonucleotides led to the formation of covalent AGT-oligonucleotide complexes. These results indicate that DBE reacts at the active site of AGT to generate an S-(2-bromoethyl) intermediate, which forms a highly reactive half-mustard at Cys(145). In the presence of DNA, the DNA-binding function of AGT facilitates formation of DNA adducts. In the absence of DNA, the intermediate undergoes hydrolytic decomposition to form AGT-Cys(145)-SCH(2)CH(2)OH.

Structure of the aflatoxin B(1) dialdehyde adduct formed from reaction with methylamine.

Amine conjugates of activated aflatoxin (AF) B(1) are formed in various systems, e.g., buffer amines and with protein lysine groups. Structures have been published in the literature, but the evidence is indirect in that (i) halogenated AFB(1) was usually used as the precursor and (ii) the assignment of the structure of the five-membered ring formed by cyclization is based on NMR chemical shifts. To better define these adducts and distinguish among several possibilities, we synthesized AFB(1) dialdehyde and reacted this with the surrogate methylamine at neutral pH, to simplify the system. The isolated product had the expected molecular ion (mass spectrometry) and showed pH-dependent UV spectra similar to those published for a lysine conjugate. Nuclear Overhauser enhanced spectroscopy (two-dimensional NMR, 800 MHz) of the sample (2H(2)O) showed proximity of the N-CH(3) protons only with a singlet at delta 4.10, assigned to the methylene of the added five-membered ring, but not to a delta 6.53 singlet assigned as the vinylic proton of that ring. All protons in the coumarin-furanone portion of the system were correlated to each other but not to those in the added five-membered ring. These experiments establish the structure as 2,3-dihydro-2-oxo-4-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-7-hydroxy-9-methoxy-3,4-dioxocyclopenta[c][1]benzopyran-6-yl)-1H-pyrrole-1-methane. The similarity of the reaction to that occurring in the reaction of AFB(1) dialdehyde with lysine and the agreement of the UV spectra suggest that this structure is applicable for the lysine analogue. The NMR results support the possible structure B of Sabbioni et al. [Sabbioni, G., Skipper, P. L., Buchi, G., and Tannenbaum, S. R. (1987) Carcinogenesis 8, 819-824] and the proposed structure 8 of Sabbioni [Sabbioni, G. (1990) Chem.-Biol. Interact. 75, 1-15] but not alternative proposals. Kinetic and mechanistic considerations of the reaction of lysine with AFB(1) dialdehyde are presented in the previous article in this issue [Guengerich, F. P., Arneson, K. O., Williams, K. M., Deng, Z., and Harris, T. M. (2002) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 15, 780-793].

Reaction of aflatoxin B(1) oxidation products with lysine.

Aflatoxin (AF) B(1) exo-8,9-epoxide hydrolysis yields AFB(1) dihydrodiol, which undergoes base-catalyzed rearrangement to, and is in equilibrium with, AFB(1) dialdehyde. We investigated the reaction of AFB(1) dialdehyde with albumin to generate a Lys adduct, previously characterized by others [Sabbioni, G., Skipper, P. L., Büchi, G., and Tannenbaum, S. R. (1987) Carcinogenesis8, 819-824; Sabbioni, G. (1990) Chem.-Biol. Interact. 75, 1-15]. Pronase digestion of bovine albumin serum treated with AFB(1) dialdehyde and HPLC yielded the adduct, identified by its characteristic UV and mass spectra. The structure of the Lys-AFB(1) dialdehyde adduct is concluded to be (S)-alpha-amino-2,3-dihydro-2-oxo-4-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-7-hydroxy-9-methoxy-3,4-dioxocyclopenta[c][1]benzopyran-6-yl)-1H-pyrrole-1-hexanoic acid, structure B of the former paper and 8 of the latter, based on work with the methylamine adduct described in the following paper in this issue [Guengerich, F. P., Voehler, M., Williams, K. M., Deng, Z., and Harris, T. M. (2002) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 15, 793-798]. The time course of product formation at varying concentrations of AFB(1) dialdehyde could be described by complexation with albumin with a K(d) of 1.5 mM and a first-order reaction rate with the N6-amino group of Lys of 0.033 min(-)(1). The reaction of AFB(1) dialdehyde with N(2)-acetylLys was monitored by UV spectroscopy and yielded a final spectrum similar to that of the described Lys adduct. Kinetic analysis of the changes at pH 7.2 was best described with a scheme involving equilibrium of the dialdehyde with dihydrodiol and a rate-limiting reaction of AFB(1) dialdehyde with the N6 atom of N(2)-acetylLys, with an apparent second-order rate constant of 2.6 x 10(3) M(-)(1) min(-)(1), followed by putative carbinolamine formation and rearrangement, collectively described by a first-order rate constant of 7.6 min(-)(1). Competition experiments with the hydrolysis of AFB(1) exo-8,9-epoxide indicate that N2-acetylLys also reacts with the epoxide at pH 7.2 (k = 350 M(-)(1) min(-)(1)) and 9.5 (k = 1.8 x 10(3) M(-)(1) min(-)(1)). This reaction might contribute to the formation of protein Lys adducts, depending upon the local concentration of free or protein Lys. Mass spectral analysis of trypsin digests of bovine serum albumin modified with AFB(1) dialdehyde indicated selective modification of Lys455 and Lys548. Collectively, these results provide more insight into the mechanism of formation of AFB(1) dialdehyde-protein adducts and indicate that the formation of Lys adducts is a moderately efficient process. The binding of AFB(1) dialdehyde to albumin or the protonation of the N6-amino group retards the reaction with Lys residues.

Characterization of a mutagenic DNA adduct formed from 1,2-dibromoethane by O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase.

It has been proposed that the DNA repair protein O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase increases the mutagenicity of 1,2-dibromoethane by reacting with it at its cysteine acceptor site to form a highly reactive half-mustard, which can then react with DNA (Liu, L., Pegg, A. E., Williams, K. M., and Guengerich, F. P. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 37920-37928). Incubation of Escherichia coli-expressed human alkyltransferase with 1,2-dibromoethane and single-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotides led to the formation of covalent transferaseoligo complexes. The order of reaction determined was Gua>Thy>Cyt>Ade. Mass spectrometry analysis of the tryptic digest of the reaction product indicated that some of the adducts led to depurination with the release of the Gly136-Arg147 peptide cross-linked to a Gua at the N7 position, with the site of reaction being the active site Cys145 as established by chromatographic retention time and the fragmentation pattern determined by tandem mass spectrometry of a synthetic peptide adduct. The alkyltransferase-mediated mutations produced by 1,2-dibromoethane were predominantly Gua to Ade transitions but, in the spectrum of such rifampicin-resistant mutations in the RpoB gene, 20% were Gua to Thy transversions. The latter are likely to have arisen from the apurinic site generated from the Gua-N7 adduct. Support exists for an additional adduct/mutagenic pathway because evidence was obtained for DNA adducts other than at the Gua N7 atom and for mutations other than those attributable to depurination. Thus, chemical and biological evidence supports the existence of at least two alkyltransferase-dependent pathways for 1,2-dibromoethane-induced mutagenicity, one involving Gua N7-alkylation by alkyltransferase-S-CH2CH2Br and depurination, plus another as yet uncharacterized system(s).