Nitrofluorenes are mutagenic and carcinogenic environmental pollutants arising chiefly fromcombustion of fossil fuels. Nitro aromatic compounds undergo nitroreduction to
N-hydroxyarylamines that bind to DNA directly or after
O-esterification. This study analyzes the DNAbinding and adducts from the in vitro nitroreduction of 2,7-dinitrofluorene (2,7-diNF), a potentmammary carcinogen in the rat. Potential adduct(s) of 2,7-diNF was (were) generated byreduction of 2-nitroso-7-NF with ascorbate/H
+ in the presence of calf thymus DNA. The ma
joradduct was characterized by HPLC/ESI/MS and
1H NMR spectrometry as
N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-amino-7-NF, and a minor one was determined by HPLC/ESI/MS to be a deoxyadenosineadduct of 2-amino-7-NF. Products from enzymatic nitroreduction were monitored by HPLCand DNA adduct formation by
32P-postlabeling. Xanthine oxidase/hypoxanthine-catalyzednitroreduction of 2,7-diNF, 2-nitrofluorene (2-NF), and 1-nitropyrene (1-NP) yielded therespective amines to similar extents (30-50%). However, the level of the ma
jor adducts (~0.15/10
6 nucleotides) from 2-NF [
N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene] and 2,7-diNF [
N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-amino-7-NF] was
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2% that from 1-NP. In the presence of acetyl CoA,nitroreduction of 2-NF catalyzed by rat liver cytosol/NADH yielded the same adduct at a levelof 2.2/10
6 nucleotides. Liver or mammary gland cytosol with acetyl CoA yielded mainly
N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-amino-7-NF from 2,7-diNF at >30 adducts/10
6 nucleotides, levelscomparable to those from 1,6-dinitropyrene and 4- or 49-fold greater than the respective levelswithout acetyl CoA. Recovery of 2-nitroso-7-NF and 2-amino-7-NF from cytosol-catalyzedreduction of 2,7-diNF indicated nitroreduction and an
N-hydroxy arylamine intermediate.Likewise, the presence of 2-acetylamino-7-NF indicated that reactivity with acyltransferase(s)was not prevented by the nitro group at C7. These data are consistent with activation of 2,7-diNF via nitroreduction to the
N-hydroxy arylamine and acetyl CoA-dependent
O-acetylationof the latter to bind to DNA. Enzymatic nitroreduction of 2,7-diNF was greatly enhanced by9-oxidation. The nitroreduction of either 9-oxo-2,7-diNF or 9-hydroxy-2,7-diNF catalyzed byliver cytosol with acetyl CoA yielded two adducts (>2/10
6 nucleotides). Differences in the TLCmigration of these adducts, compared to those from 2,7-diNF, and the lack of 2,7-diNF formationin the incubations suggested retention of the C9-oxidized groups. The relative ratios of theamine to amide from nitroreductions of 9-oxo-2,7-diNF and 2,7-diNF catalyzed by liver cytosolsuggested that the 9-oxo group decreased reactivity with acyltransferase and, thus, the amountof
N-acetoxy arylamine that binds to DNA. The mammary gland tumorigenicity of 2,7-diNFand the extent of its activation by the tumor target tissue shown herein suggest relevance ofthis environmental pollutant for breast cancer.