Influence of Nucleic Acid Base Composition on Radiation-induced Strand Breakage in Single Stranded DNA: A Time Resolved Study

Abstract

The following study investigates the pathways involved in the induction of single strand breaks (ssb) in various samples of single stranded (ss) DNA (calf thymus, Micrococcus lysodeikticus Clostridium perfringens) with differing nucleic acid base composition. The time scale for the induction of ssb was determined from changes in the light scattering intensity following pulse irradiation of aqueous solutions containing these ssDNA samples at pH7·8 under either aerated or deaerated conditions. The induction of ssb under these conditions is predominantly by the hydroxyl radical and shows various kinetically distinct components. The immediate ssb (t < 0·02s) account for ∼ 40–60% of the total yield of ssb. The majority of these ssb are suggested to arise from the ‘common’ initial attack of the hydroxyl radicals at the sugar phosphate backbone for each of the three DNA samples. Furthermore, slower components for ssb formation (t > 0·02s) were observed and are suggested to occur through base radical mediated H-atom abstraction from the sugar moiety. The half lives for formation of the majority of ssb, formed through this base radical-mediated H-atom abstraction(s), are in the range of 20–43 ms. The yields of these ‘base-mediated’ ssb vary markedly (under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions) and reflect the base composition of the DNA sample. It is suggested from these studies that the OH-induced base radicals of guanine/cytosine are more effective precursors for strand breakage than those from adenine/thymine in ssDNA.