Ring-opened 7-methylguanine nucleotides are resistant to nuclease P1 digestion and good substrates to polynucleotide kinase.

Dimethyl sulfate was used to prepare 7-methyl-2'-deoxy-guanosine 3'-monophosphate (7-methyl-dGMP), which was ring-opened in alkali to 2'-deoxy-N5-methyl-N5-formyl-2,5,6-triamino-4-oxopyrimidine 3'-monophosphate (ROM-dGMP). ROM-dGMP was not dephosphorylated by nuclease P1 in contrast to normal deoxynucleotides. It was efficiently 5'-phosphorylated by T4 polynucleotide kinase. When methylated DNA was alkali-treated and digested with micrococcal nuclease, spleen phosphodiesterase and nuclease P1, ROM-dGMP was formed and this was labeled with [gamma-32P]-ATP in the presence of polynucleotide kinase. Ring-opening and P1 treatment appear methods of choice for 32P-post-labeling of 7-alkylguanines in DNA.