Structure of the d(CGCGAATTCGCG)2 complex of the minor groove binding alkylating agent alkamin studied by mass spectrometry

Nitrogen mustard alkylating agents are important cancer drugs. Much interest has been focused on redirecting their covalent adducts from the N7 atoms of guanine in the major groove of DNA to the N3 atoms of adenine in the minor groove by attaching mustard groups to AT-selective minor groove binding ligands. Here we describe the use of electrospray ionization and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry to study the structure of the DNA complexes of two minor groove binding polybenzamide mustards, alkamin and alkamini; the former is a bis-half-mustard in which reactive groups are disposed at each end of the ligand, and the latter is its monofunctional analog. Alkamin is potently cytotoxic and active in experimental mouse tumor models, whereas alkamini is not. We have studied their interaction with the DNA dodecamer d(CGCGAATTCGCG)(2), designated A2T2, and we provide a detailed analysis of the observed DNA-ligand adduct ions and their fragmentation products. We find that alkamini alkylates A2T2 at guanine G4 and adenines A5 and A6 in a manner consistent with covalent attack on purine N3 atoms from the minor groove of the AT tract. Alkamin also forms monofunctional adducts at G4 and both adenines in which the second mustard arm is hydrolyzed but, in addition, forms a variety of interstrand cross-links between adenines A5/A6 and A5'/A6', an interstrand cross-link between G4 and A6', and an intrastrand cross-link between G4 and A6. We conclude that the marked cytotoxicity of alkamin and its experimental antitumor activity could be the consequence of its ability to cross-link cellular DNA at AT tract sequences.