The reaction between cysteine and N-methyl-N-nitroso-p-toluenesulfonamide affords almost quantitative yields of cystine and N-methyl-p-toluenesuIfonaniide. A mechanism based on the intermediacy of the S-nitroso derivative of cysteine and the intermediate formation of nitric oxide is proposed. Nitrous oxide is shown to be a final product. In the reaction of cysteine with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine a substantial yield of 2-nitramino-4-carboxyl-thiazoline is obtained. Cystine, N-methyl-N'-nitroguanidine and S-methylcysteine are formed in lesser amounts. The major product arises from nucleophilic attack on the iniino carbon of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Concomitant elimination of the methylnitrosamino group accounts for the methylating ability of the system. Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 47, 2021 (1969) Previous work in this laboratory has shown that deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) becomes methylated when it is allowed to react in vitro with either N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NG) or with N-methyl-N-nitroso-p-toluenesulfonamide (MNTS) (1). Addition of cysteine to the reaction mixture was found to increase methylation by N G but to decrease dramatically methylation by MNTS, results which are of considerable interest in view of biological studies showing that cysteine has a protective action against certain types of alkylating agents (2).Both N G and MNTS are well-established sources of diazomethane in their reactions with aqueous base (3,4). For the reactions of N G and MNTS with nucleophilic reagents other than oxygen nucleophiles, a variety of products are reported. McKay and Wright (5) demonstrated that primary alkyl or aryl amines react with N G with the elimination of the methylnitrosamino group and the formation of N-substituted nitroguanidines. The only secondary amine to react with N G to give a Ndisubstituted-Nf-nitroguanidine is dimethylamine. Reaction of N G with other secondary amines resulted in denitrosation (6). In the reaction of N G with azide ion the methylnitrosamino group is eliminated and 5-nitroaminotetrazole is formed by cyclization of the intermediate nitrogiianylazide (7). The reaction between MNTS and piperidine results in transfer of the nitroso group to form N-nitrosopiperidine without the formation of any diazomethane (4). Low yields of diphenylnitrosamine are reported to result from reaction of MNTS with diphenylamine (8).Thus, while the existing literature pointed to the fact that the N-methyl-N-nitroso compounds under consideration exhibit two centers susceptible to nucleophilic attack, resulting in loss of the methylnitrosamino group and the nitroso function respectively, no information was available on their reactions with mercaptans. We report here data that provide a reasonable explanation for the difference in the behavior of N G and MNTS in the presence of cysteine.
Results and Discussion
Reactions of Cysteitze rvith M N T SThe reactions of cysteine with MNTS were carried out at room temperature in aqueous 25 % ethanol at pH 7 in an atmosphere of nit...