Formation of the adduct 6-(deoxyguanosin-N2-yl)-3-amino-benzo[a]pyrene from the mutagenic environmental contaminant 3-nitrobenzo[a]pyrene.

3-Nitrobenzo[a]pyrene (3-nitro-B[a]P) is a potent bacterial mutagen as a result of nitroreduction. Reaction of N-hydroxy-3-amino-B[a]P, prepared in situ from reduction of 3-nitro-B[a]P with calf thymus DNA, was studied. After enzymatic digestion of the DNA, the resulting modified nucleosides were analyzed by thermospray HPLC-MS and high-resolution proton NMR spectroscopy. The major adduct was identified as 6-(deoxyguanosin-N2-yl)-3-amino-B[a]P. The same adduct was obtained from incubation of DNA with 3-nitro-B[a]P in the presence of the mammalian nitroreductase xanthine oxidase, and hypoxanthine. These data indicate that a mammalian nitroreductase can metabolize 3-nitro-B[a]P to an activated derivative that reacts with DNA to give a novel adduct distant from the site of N-hydroxylation.