Comparative reactivity of mismatched and unpaired bases in relation to their type and surroundings. Chemical cleavage of DNA mismatches in mutation detection analysis.

Systematic study of chemical reactivity of non-Watson-Crick base pairs depending on their type and microenvironment was performed on a model system that represents two sets of synthetic DNA duplexes with all types of mismatched and unmatched bases flanked by T.A or G.C pairs. Using comparative cleavage pattern analysis, we identified the main and additional target bases and performed quantitative study of the time course and efficacy of DNA modification caused by potassium permanganate or hydroxylamine. Potassium permanganate in combination with tetraethylammonium chloride was shown to induce DNA cleavage at all mismatched or bulged T residues, as well as at thymines of neighboring canonical pairs. Other mispaired (bulged) bases and thymine residues located on the second position from the mismatch site were not the targets for KMnO(4) attack. In contrast, hydroxylamine cleaved only heteroduplexes containing mismatched or unmatched C residues, and did not modify adjacent cytosines. However when G.C pairs flank bulged C residue, neighboring cytosines are also attacked by hydroxylamine due to defect migration. Chemical reactivity of target bases was shown to correlate strongly with the local disturbance of DNA double helix at mismatch or bulge site. With our model system, we were able to prove the absence of false-negative and false-positive results. Portion of heteroduplex reliably revealed in a mixture with corresponding homoduplex consists of 5% for bulge bases and "open" non-canonical pairs, and 10% for wobble base pairs giving minimal violations in DNA structure. This study provides a complete understanding of the principles of mutation detection methodology based on chemical cleavage of mismatches and clarifies the advantages and limitations of this approach in various biological and conformational studies of DNA.