Gas-phase proton affinity of deoxyribonucleosides and related nucleobases by fast atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry

The results are reported of mass-spectrometric studies of the nucleobases adenine 1h (1, R ϭ H), guanine 2h, and cytosine 3h. The protonated nucleobases are generated by electrospray ionization of adenosine 1r (1, R ϭ ribose), guanosine 2r, and deoxycytidine 3d (3, R ϭ deoxyribose) and their fragmentations were studied with tandem mass spectrometry. In contrast to previous EI-MS studies of the nucleobases, NH 3 elimination does present a major path for the fragmentations of the ions [1h ϩ H] ϩ , [2h ϩ H] ϩ , and [3h ϩ H] ϩ . The ion [2h ϩ H Ϫ NH 3 ] ϩ also was generated from the acyclic precursor 5-cyanoamino-4-oxomethylenedihydroimidazole 13h and from the thioether derivative 14h of 2h (NH 2 replaced by MeS). The analyses of the modes of initial fragmentation is supported by density functional theoretical studies. Conjugate acids 15-55 were studied to determine site preferences for the protonations of 1h, 2h, 3h, 13h, and 14h. The proton affinity of the amino group hardly ever is the substrate's best protonation site, and possible mechanisms for NH 3 elimination are discussed in which the amino group serves as the dissociative protonation site. The results provide semi-direct experimental evidence for the existence of the pyrimidine ring-opened cations that we had proposed on the basis of theoretical studies as intermediates in nitrosative nucleobase deamination. [1,2]. This chemistry has been studied extensively because of the dietary and environmental exposure of humans to these substances [3][4][5]. Toxicological studies of deamination became more significant when it was recognized that endogenous nitric oxide [6,7] causes nitrosation [8,9], and that this process is accelerated by chronic inflammatory diseases [10,11]. It has been known for a long time that deamination of adenine 1, guanine 2, and cytosine 3 (Scheme 1) results in the formation of hypoxanthine, xanthine, and uracil, respectively, and these products are thought to result from DNA base diazonium ions 4-6, respectively, by direct nucleophilic dediazoniation. The discovery of oxanine formation [12][13][14] in the nitrosative deamination of guanine challenged the generality and completeness of this mechanism. Theoretical studies revealed that unimolecular dediazoniation of guaninediazonium ion 5 is accompanied or immediately followed by pyrimidine ringopening [15,16] and that cytosine-catalysis promotes the process [17,18]. The resulting 5-cyanoimino-4-oxomethylene-4,5-dihydroimidazole is a highly reactive intermediate and undergoes acid-catalyzed 1,4-addition via cyano-N or imino-N protonated 5-cyanoimino-4-oxomethylene-4,5-dihydroimidazoles, 9 and 10, respectively [19].Labeling studies support this reaction mechanism for oxanine formation [20]. Moreover, we synthesized 5-cyanoamino-4-imidazolecarboxamide and studied its cyclization chemistry [21] and its proficiency for cross-link formation [22]. The unimolecular dediazoniation of the diazonium ions of adenine and cytosine can proceed without ring-opening but the cations 7 and 11 formed in this...

Section: Site Of Protonation and Mode Of Initial Fragmentationsupporting

confidence: 88%

Ammonia elimination from protonated nucleobases and related synthetic substrates

Qian

Yang

et al. 2007

“…Positive charges in ESI mass spectra of DNA are thought to reside on the nucleobases [30]. The proton affinities of dA, dC, and dT are 233.6, 233.2, and 224.9 kcal/mol, respectively.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of the binding stoichiometries of positively charged DNA-binding drugs using positive and negative ion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Gupta

Beck

Ralph

et al. 2004

dpqC]Cl 2 with DNA, highlighting the need for obtaining ESI mass spectra of non-covalent complexes under a range of experimental conditions. Negative ion spectra of mixtures of the minor groove binder Hoechst 33258 with DNA containing a known minor groove binding sequence were dominated by ions from a 1:1 complex. In contrast, in positive ion spectra there were also ions present from a 2:1 (Hoechst 33258: DNA) complex, suggesting an alternative binding mode was possible either in solution or in the gas phase. When Hoechst 33258 was mixed with a DNA sequence lacking a high affinity minor groove binding site, the negative ion ESI mass spectra showed that 1:1 and 2:1 complexes were formed, consistent with existence of binding modes other than minor groove binding. The data presented suggest that comparison of positive and negative ion ESI-MS spectra might provide an insight into various binding modes in both solution and the gas phase. (J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 2004, 15, 1382-1391

“…While the proton affinities of the most basic sites of the major nucleobases, deoxyribonucleosides, and deoxyribonucleotides have been bracketed, gas phase acidities of the nucleobases are largely unknown [15][16][17][18]. Our studies have also been motivated by our interest in two pyrimidine-related enzymes, uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDGase) and orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase (ODCase).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The acidity of uracil and uracil analogs in the gas phase: Four surprisingly acidic sites and biological implications

Kurinovich

Lee

2002

160

The gas phase acidities of a series of uracil derivatives (1-methyluracil, 3-methyluracil, 6-methyluracil, 5,6-dimethyluracil, and 1,3-dimethyluracil) have been bracketed to provide an understanding of the intrinsic reactivity of uracil. The experiments indicate that in the gas phase, uracil has four sites more acidic than water. Among the uracil analogs, the N1-H sites have ⌬H acid values of 331-333 kcal mol Ϫ1 ; the acidity of the N3 sites fall between 347-352 kcal mol Ϫ1 . The vinylic C6 in 1-methyluracil and 3-methyluracil brackets to 363 kcal mol Ϫ1 , and 369 kcal mol Ϫ1 in 1,3-dimethyluracil; the C5 of 1,3-dimethyluracil brackets to 384 kcal mol Ϫ1 . Calculations conducted at B3LYP/6-31ϩG* are in agreement with the experimental values. The bracketing of several of these sites involved utilization of an FTMS protocol to measure the less acidic site in a molecule that has more than one acidic site, establishing the generality of this method. In molecules with multiple acidic sites, only the two most acidic sites were bracketable, which is attributable to a kinetic effect. The measured acidities are in direct contrast to in solution, where the two most acidic sites of uracil (N1 and N3) are indifferentiable. The vinylic C6 site is also particularly acidic, compared to acrolein and pyridine. The biological implications of these results, particularly with respect to enzymes for which uracil is a substrate, are discussed. (J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 2002, 13, 985-995)