Separate deamination mechanisms for isomeric styrene oxide induced N1-adenine adducts

[formula: see text] Styrene 7,8-oxide (SO) induced N1-2'-deoxyadenosine 5'-phosphate (AMP) adducts deaminate to corresponding inosine derivatives. For the beta-isomer of N1-SO-AMP, the chiral alpha-carbon was found to be involved in the hydrolytic deamination, suggesting formation of an oxazolinium ring as an intermediate and that a water molecule attacks the benzylic carbon. The mechanism differs from the one suggested for the alpha-isomer of N1-SO-AMP, for which deamination occurs by direct attack of water at the 6-position of purine ring.