E.S.R. and ENDOR of an α-chloro radical in X-irradiated 5-chlorodeoxyuridine single crystals

Abstract

The most prominent radical formed from X-irradiation of the nucleic acid constituent analogue 5-chlorodeoxyuridine at room temperature is shown to be an α-chloro radical formed by hydrogen addition to C₆. The E.S.R. analysis of the ³⁵Cl hyperfine interaction combined with theoretical simulation of the spin hamiltonian yields tensor components a_xx =46·98 MHz, a_yy =-10·98 MHz and a_zz =-17·01 MHz with a quadrupole coupling constant of eqQ=72 MHz. The principal g-tensor values are g_xx =2·0012, g_yy =2·00862 and g_zz =2·00687. Three additional hyperfine interactions in the radical are observed combining E.S.R. and ENDOR spectroscopy. Besides the two nearly equivalent β-protons on C₆ with principal values of 103·39 MHz and 110·12 MHz, there is hyperfine interaction with the ¹⁴N nucleus of nitrogen N₃ (a_xx =9·81 MHz, a_yy =a_zz ≃ 0 MHz) and with the proton of the hydrogen bonded to N₃. The latter interaction has tensor components of 2·65 MHz, -10·80 MHz and -8·09 MHz as obtained from ENDOR data. The chlorine hyperfine coupling parameters are related to those observed in other α-chloro radicals. The mechanism of the formation of the radical in 5-chlorodeoxyuridine is discussed briefly.

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Notes on contributors

William A. Bernhard

On leave from the University of Rochester, supported by Public Health Service, Research Career, Development Award No. 5KO4 GM-70337.

Gunnar Schmidt

On leave from the University of Rochester, supported by Public Health Service, Research Career, Development Award No. 5K O4 GM-70337.