Date of Award

2003

Document Type

Honors Thesis (Open Access)

Department

Colby College. Chemistry Dept.

Advisor(s)

Julie T. Millard

Second Advisor

Jeffrey A. Katz

Abstract

Diepoxybutane, diepoxyoctane, and mechlorethamine are cytotoxic DNA crosslinking agents that vary in their carcinogenic versus chemotherapeutic potentials. Interstrand cross-linking occurs between the N7 positions of deoxyguanosine residues on opposite strands of the DNA duplex. Each synthetic DNA oligomer used in this study contained four 5'-N\GN2CN3 sites (within a 32 base sequence) and we have systematically varied the bases in the N1 and N2 positions to determine the resulting cross-linking efficiencies of each cytotoxic agent. Each duplex was 5' -end labeled and incubated with cross-linking agent. Interstrand cross-links were purified through denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and then subjected to piperidine cleavage. The amount of cleavage at each deoxyguanosine residue was determined by sequencing gel analysis and represents the cross-linking efficiency at that site. We have determined that cross-linking efficiency varies with the identity of Nl and N2.

Keywords

Carcinogens Cancer, Genetic aspects, DNA-ligand interactions, Diepoxybutane, diepoxyoctane, mechlorethamine

Included in

Chemistry Commons

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