The conformation of adducts derived from the reactions and covalent binding of the (+) and (-) enantiomers of 7 beta, 8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 alpha, 10 alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene (anti-BaPDE) with double-stranded calf thymus DNA in vitro were investigated utilizing the electric linear dichroism technique. The linear dichroism and absorption spectra of the covalent DNA complexes are interpreted in terms of a superposition of two types of binding sites. One of these conformations (site I) is a complex in which the plane of the pyrene residue is close to parallel (within 30 degrees) to the planes of the DNA bases (quasi-intercalation), while the other (site II) is an external binding site; this latter type of adduct is attributed to the covalent binding of anti-BaPDE to the exocyclic amino group of deoxyguanine (N2-dG), while site I adducts are attributed to the O6-deoxyguanine and N6-deoxyadenine adducts identified in the product analysis of P. Brookes and M.R. Osborne (Carcinogenesis (1982) 3, 1223-1226). Site II adducts are dominant (approximately 90% in the covalent complexes derived from the (+) enantiomer), but account for only 50 +/- 5% of the adducts in the case of the (-)-enantiomer. The orientation of site II complexes is different by 20 +/- 10 degrees in the adducts derived from the binding of the (+) and the (-) enantiomers to DNA, the long axis of the pyrene chromophore being oriented more parallel to the axis of the DNA helix in the case of the (+) enantiomer. These findings support the proposals by Brookes and Osborne that the difference in spatial orientation of the N2-dG adducts of (-)-anti-BaPDE together with their lower abundance may account for the lower biological activity of the (-) enantiomer. The external site II adducts, rather than site I adducts, appear to be correlated with the biological activity of these compounds.

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