Reported here is a comparison o
f the kinetics o
f the stepwise
formation o
f 1,4- and 1,6-GGinterstrand cross-links by the trinuclear platinum anticancer compound
15N-[{
trans-PtCl(NH
3)
2}
2{
f">-
trans-Pt(NH
3)
2(H
2N(CH
2)
6NH
2)
2}]
4+, (1,0,1/t,t,t (
1) or BBR3464). The reactions o
f 15N-
1 with the sel
f-complementary12-mer duplexes 5'-{d(ATAT
GTACATAT)
2} (
I) and 5'-{d(TAT
GTATACATA)
2} (
II) have been studied at298 K, pH 5.3 by [
1H,
15N] HSQC 2D NMR spectroscopy. The kinetic pro
files
for the two reactions aresimilar. For both sequences initial electrostatic interactions with the DNA are observed
for
1 and themonoaqua monochloro species (
2) and changes in the chemical shi
fts o
f certain DNA
1H resonances areconsistent with binding o
f the central charged {PtN
4} linker unit in the minor groove. The pseudo
first-order rate constants
for the aquation o
f 1 to
2 in the presence o
f duplex
I (3.94 ± 0.03 × 10
-5 s
-1), or
II(4.17 ± 0.03 × 10
-5 s
-1) are ca. 40% o
f the value obtained
for aquation o
f 1 under similar conditions in theabsence o
f DNA. Mono
functional binding to the guanine N7 o
f the duplex occurs with rate constants o
f0.25 ± 0.02 M
-1 s
-1 (
I) and 0.34 ± 0.02 M
-1 s
-1 (
II), respectively. Closure to
form the 1,4- or 1,6-interstrandcross-links (
5) was treated as direct
from
3 with similar rate constants o
f 4.21 ± 0.06 × 10
-5 s
-1 (
I) and4.32 ± 0.04 × 10
-5 s
-1 (
II), respectively. Whereas there is only one predominant con
former o
f the 1,6cross-link, evidence
from both the
1H and [
1H,
15N] NMR spectra show
formation o
f two distinct con
formerso
f the 1,4 cross-link, which are not interconvertible. Closure to give the major con
former occurs 2.5-
fold
faster than
for the minor con
former. The di
fferences are attributed to the initial preassociation o
f the centrallinker o
f 1 in the minor groove and subsequently during
formation o
f both the mono
functional and bi
functionaladducts. For duplex
I, molecular models indicate two distinct pathways
for the terminal {PtN
3Cl} groups toapproach and bind the guanine N7 in the major groove with the central linker anchored in the minor groove.To achieve platination o
f the guanine residues in duplex
II the central linker remains in the minor groovebut
1 must di
ffuse o
ff the DNA
for covalent binding to occur. Clear evidence
for movement o
f the linkergroup is seen at the mono
functional binding step
from changes o
f chemical shi
fts o
f certain CH
2 linkerprotons as well as the Pt-NH
3 and Pt-NH
2 groups. Consideration o
f the
1H and
15N shi
fts o
f peaks in thePt-NH
2 region show that
for both the 1,4 and 1,6 interstrand cross-links there is a gradual and irreversibletrans
formation
from an initially
formed con
former(s) to product con
former(s) in which the amine protons o
fthe two bound {PtN
3} groups exist in a number o
f di
fferent environments. The behavior is similar to thatobserved
for the 1,4-interstrand cross-link o
f the dinuclear 1,1/t,t compound. The potential signi
ficance o
fpreassociation in determining kinetics o
f formation and structure o
f the adducts is discussed. Thecon
formational
flexibility o
f the cross-links is discussed in relation to their biological processing, especiallyprotein recognition and repair, which are critical determinants o
f the cytotoxicity o
f these unique DNA-binding agents.