Alkylation of calf thymus DNA with reductively activated mitomycin C.

Mitomycin C (MMC) was catalytically reduced in the presence of a nucleotide or calf thymus DNA. Reaction with 5'-guanylic acid (5'-GMP) gave 1,2-cis-2, 7-diamino-1-(5'-guanylyl) mitosene. Reaction with calf thymus DNA gave modified DNA, which on enzymatic hydrolysis gave two alkylated 5'-deoxyguanylic acid (MG-1 and MG-2) and an alkylated 5'-deoxyadenylic acid (MA). This is the first example of isolation of nucleotides from DNA modified by MMC.