Mechanism of cleavage of apurinic sites by 9-aminoellipticine.

We have studied the kinetics of breakage of apurinic (AP) sites by the intercalating agent 9-aminoellipticine using fluorimetric methods with single (ss)- and double (ds)-stranded apurinic DNA. In order to understand the chemical process, high performance liquid chromatography was used to follow the reaction kinetics with the apurinic oligonucleotide model T(AP)T. The unstable intermediate, which is responsible for the beta-elimination step, is a Schiff base resulting from the interaction of the amino group of the aromatic amine with the aldehyde function of the deoxyribose moiety (AP site). Fluorescence occurs simultaneously with the breakage of both ss and ds DNA and of the oligonucleotide and arises from the formation of a conjugated double bond on the Schiff base through the beta-elimination reaction. In optimal conditions, the second order rate constant for the fluorescence build up is 15 x 10(3) min-1 M-1 for ds DNA and 0.105 x 10(3) min-1 M-1 for T(AP)T. The ability of 9-aminoellipticine to induce fluorescence and breakage of ss DNA and T(AP)T shows that intercalation is not essential for this reaction to occur. Nevertheless, the greater rate constant with DNA suggests that stacking is an important parameter for the reaction of the aromatic amine with the AP site.