As the most readily oxidized of DNA's four natural bases, guanine is a prime target for attack by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and transition metal-mediated oxidants. The oxidation products of a modified guanosine nucleoside and of a single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotide, 5′-d(TTTTTTTGTTTTTTT)-3′ have been studied using oxidants that include Co II , Ni II , and Ir IV compounds as well as photochemically generated oxidants such as sulphate radical, electrontransfer agents (riboflavin) and singlet oxygen. The oxidized lesions formed include spiroiminodihydantoin (Sp), guanidinohydantoin (Gh), imidazolone (Iz), oxazolone (Z) and 5-carboxamido-5-formamido-2-iminohydantion (2-Ih) nucleosides with a high degree of dependence on the exact oxidation system employed. Interestingly, a nickel(II) macrocyclic complex in conjunction with KHSO 5 leads to the recently reported 2-Ih heterocycle as the major product in both the nucleoside and oligonucleotide contexts.