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Gamma irradiation of DNA solutions containing copper causes changes in DNA conformation in oligonucleotides and in natural and synthetic DNAs. Diagnostic for these conformational changes is a ubiquitous 187-nm peak in the circular dichroism (CD) difference spectrum that has been predicted for a transformation from a right-handed to a left-handed helical DNA conformation. Changes in CD are correlated with changes in the UV spectrum. Reduction of DNA-bound Cu(II) to Cu(I) with ascorbic acid produces similar changes in CD spectra. These changes can be produced by the peroxy radical anion (O2*-) and the OH radical in the presence of copper. O2*- is approximately twice as efficient as *OH in initiating these changes in natural DNA. The changes in DNA conformation induced by ionizing radiation are remarkable in that they are dependent on the copper-ion concentration in a highly nonlinear manner at low copper concentrations and are not observed in the absence of copper ions. Possible implications of our results for radiobiological and oxidative damage in the cell nucleus are discussed.

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Metal-ion assisted, gamma-radiation-induced B-Z conformation changes have been observed with UV and circular dichroism spectroscopy for poly (dGdC), calf thymus and herring testis DNA. These conformational changes are similar to those induced by increasing multivalent metal ion concentrations in DNA containing alternating purine and pyrimidine base sequences. In both the metal-ion-induced and the metal-ion-assisted, radiation-induced conformation changes, the conversions were from the right-handed B-DNA to the left-handed Z-DNA conformation. It is proposed that radiation-induced DNA strand breaks markedly reduce the high activation energy barrier in the metal ion-driven B-Z conformation conversion and allow much smaller metal ion concentrations to induce this conversion than in the absence of strand breaks. The biological importance of such radiation-induced conformational changes is discussed in terms of the potential significance of the Z-DNA conformation in the control of the DNA transcription process.

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Using an electrophoresis assay system developed in our laboratory, we have simultaneously measured single- and double-strand DNA breaks (SSBs and DSBs) induced by gamma radiation in small SV40 viral DNA molecules, under conditions of greatly varying radical scavenger concentration and DNA configuration. In our experiments with aqueous solutions of SV40 DNA, we observe that SSB induction is linear with dose (one-hit response), over the entire hydroxyl scavenger efficiency range examined, from approximately 0 to 5 x 10(9) s-1, while DSB induction shifts from having a major quadratic component (two-hit response) at very low scavenger efficiencies to nearly pure linear for efficiencies greater than 10(7) s-1. The mean ratio of SSBs to one-hit DSBs remains relatively constant with increasing scavenger efficiency, decreasing from about 100:1 to 40:1 as the scavenger efficiency increases from 2 x 10(5) s-1 to 5 x 10(9) s-1, and the absolute induction efficiencies for breaks decrease by three orders of magnitude. This decrease takes place primarily at scavenger efficiencies above 1 x 10(8) s-1. Irradiation of intranuclear SV40 minichromosomes induces SSBs and DSBs at nearly the same efficiencies as does irradiation of free DNA at the highest scavenger concentrations examined, and at only about twice the efficiencies observed at -75 degrees C, where direct effects are believed to predominate. Our observations that the linear-quadratic mix of the dose-response curve for DSBs depends critically on scavenger efficiency may help to clarify the considerable confusion in the literature on the shape of such curves. Our observations of a relatively constant ratio between one-hit SSBs and DSBs at low and moderate scavenger efficiencies are in agreement with the recent hypothesis of Siddiqi and Bothe (Radiat. Res. 112, 449-463 (1987)) that, contrary to widely and long-held beliefs, the formation by indirect effects of a one-hit DSB in DNA occurs under these conditions predominantly by a mechanism involving a single OH radical, with a presumed radical transfer between complementary DNA strands. In contrast, our results for strongly protective conditions are not consistent with this hypothesis, but are consistent with the predictions of Ward's hypothesis (Radiat. Res. 86, 185-195, (1981)) that one-hit DSBs from indirect effects are produced predominantly by local clusters of OH radicals from single energy deposition events (locally multiply damaged sites) rather than by single OH radicals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

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Ultraviolet difference spectra between gamma-irradiated and unirradiated aqueous solutions of oxygenated adenine reveal spectral maxima at 224, 286 and 360 nm, and suggest the existence of multiple radiation products. The presence of long-wavelength absorbing products implies the extension of the conjugation of the adenine ring. The product absorbing at 360 nm appears only in the presence of oxygen, with its yield dependent on both oxygen concentration and temperature. The absorbance peak at 360 nm in the UV difference spectra appears to demonstrate simple first-order decay kinetics, with a half-life of 50 min at 3 degrees C. At temperatures below 23 degrees C relative yields of the radiation products are approximately constant, suggesting a common mechanism. Higher temperatures apparently induce a mechanistic alteration. Since the temperature during and subsequent to irradiation, as well as the oxygen concentration of the solution, affects the absolute yields and distribution of the radiation products, great care must be exercised in controlling these variables.

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Ultraviolet difference spectra of gamma-irradiated, air-saturated aqueous solutions of DNA bases vs. unirradiated solutions of the same bases are shown to be a very sensitive supplemental tool with which to investigate the yields, postirradiation kinetics, and general nature of DNA base radiation products. Irradiated pyrimidines yield difference spectra which are approximately negative mirror-images of the base absorption spectra in the near-UV, indicating loss of ring conjugation. Difference spectra of irradiated purines yield a more complex pattern containing a positive long-wavelength peak, interpreted as radiation-induced extension of conjugation of the pi electron system beyond that of the unirradiated purine. On the basis of the spectroscopic evidence from these studies, 8-hydroxyguanine appears to be the dominant UV-absorbing radiation product in air-saturated guanine solutions with a G-value of 0.3 molec (100 eV)-1. Difference spectral studies provide isosbestic points which can be used in testing proposed radiation products and their yields. Such spectral studies are a rapid, non-invasive, supplemental tool which can be employed in conjunction with other analytical techniques in radiation-chemical studies, and which is one of the few tools able to detect short-lived chemical intermediates observed in oxygenated solutions of irradiated purines.

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A method has been developed by which the molecular weight of proteins and other freely diffusing species can be estimated on the basis of chromatographic peak shapes developed by injection of a sample into an open capillary tube in a liquid chromatography system. In chromatographic peaks obtained from such a system, there are contributions from both convection and diffusion. Thus, peak shape is dependent upon the diffusion coefficient of the molecular species, the flow rate, and the length of the capillary tube. In the work reported here it has been found that for samples of different proteins ranging from 2000 to 14,000 molecular weight, each injected at the same mobile phase flow rate, the ratio (R) of h1, the height of the peak primarily due to convection, to h2, the height of the "makeup" peak, primarily due to diffusion from the capillary wall, is a direct measure of protein molecular weight. Linear plots of R vs molecular weight are obtained under certain conditions.

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Studies of ultraviolet and circular dichroism spectra of aqueous solutions of calf thymus (CT) DNA confirm the tendency of DNA to change conformation at low ionic strength. The qualitative shape and transition width of 260 nm melting curves below 1 mM NaCl differed significantly from those previously published for DNA solutions containing 1 mM NaCl and above. Neutral aqueous solutions of CT DNA at low ionic strengths (0.1 mM-10 mM NaCl) were irradiated with low doses of gamma-rays. The melting temperature, Tm, of irradiated DNA samples increased below 1 mM NaCl suggesting interstrand crosslinking of the denatured DNA or formation of regions of more thermally stable DNA conformation. The magnitudes of these radiation responses were found to be a function of the time elapsed between salt concentration changes and irradiation as well as time after irradiation. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the purine and pyrimidine base chromophores in double stranded DNA are sheltered from radical attack by the sugar phosphate backbone. Low dose radiation studies (0.8-8.0 Gy) of CT DNA in 1 mM NaCl and below showed a split dose and dose rate dependence for the sample melting curves.

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The absorption of gamma-rays by dilute aqueous solutions of lysozyme and polyinosinic acid (poly I) causes significant increases in the light-scattering power of room temperature solutions in certain critical concentration regions. Light-scattering properties are unaltered by relatively large doses of radiation delivered to heated complexes. Prior irradiation of the poly I alone yields complexes whose light-scattering properties are the same as those of the unirradiated system. Studies of the radiation-induced absorbance changes of these complexes at 260 and 280 nm show behaviour indicative of the radiation chemistry of polynucleotide rather than of lysozyme. From the evidence available, it is postulated that most of the damage is to the poly I rather than lysozyme in the complexes. Increases in light-scattering and dissymmetry are attributed to unwinding of the multi-stranded polynucleotide. The role of water in the formation and radiation sensitivity of the complexes is discussed.

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