In an earlier report, we established that the cationic complex [(phen)2Ru(tatpp)Ru(phen)2]4+ (P4+) undergoes in situ reduction by glutathione (GSH) to form a species that induces DNA cleavage.1  We showed that the mechanism of DNA cleavage is not via activation of O2 and, in fact, that the cleavage activity of this complex is increased in the absence of O2.  We currently postulate that the singly reduced species P3+, which contains a radical anion localized on the tatpp ligand, abstracts an H atom from the deoxyribose unit in DNA, leading to DNA cleavage. In this paper, we characterize the production of unique scission products furfural and possibly 5-methylenefuranone (5-MF) resulting from the oxidation the deoxyribose unit by (P4+) at the C5' and C1' positions respectively.  We describe our results using GCMS and HPLC analysis of the scission products formed by the degradation of calf thymus and PUC 19 DNA, by P4+ and GSH under aerobic and hypoxic conditions.

Toward establishing the mechanism of DNA cleavage by the redox-active ruthenium dimer, [(phen)2Ru(tatpp)Ru(phen)2]4+ (P4+)

243rd National Meeting (2012)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.