Guanyl-C8-arylamination of DNA by the ultimate carcinogen of 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide: a spectrophotometric titration.

Native and denatured DNAs and polynucleotides were modified by 4-acetoxyaminoquinoline-1-oxide, the ultimate carcinogen of 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4 NQO). The N-( deoxyguanosin -C8-yl)-4-aminoquinoline-1-oxide adduct, the so-called "dG III," was quantified on the DNA and on poly(dG-dC) in absorption spectroscopy, by using a spectral property of dG III, i.e., the variation of the absorption spectrum as a function of the pH. Using the "free-dG III" absorption reference spectra, a simple graphic determination of the percentage of dG III was established by recording the absorption spectra of the 4-acetoxyaminoquinoline-1-oxide-modified polymers. It was found that the dG III adduct accounts for about 30% of the total modification in the case of native modified DNA and poly(dG-dC) and for about 70% in the case of denatured modified DNA.