Adduction of catechol estrogens to nucleosides

We report the formation, detection, quantitation and structural characterization of products resulting from the adduction of deoxynucleosides (deoxyadenosine, deoxyguanosine, deoxycytidine and 5-methyldeoxycytidine) to the catechol estrogens (CE) of estrone, estradiol-17beta and estradiol-17 alpha. The crude products are obtained in a one-pot synthesis through oxidation of catechols to quinones and subsequent Michael-type reaction with the deoxynucleosides in acidic medium. In all experiments, adducts are detected by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis after HPLC separation (LC/ESI/MS(n)). The two pyrimidines deoxycytidine and 5-methyldeoxycytidine yield only CE adducts to deoxynucleosides, which correspond to stable adducts on DNA. For purines, the results depend on the CE (2,3- or 3,4-catechols) used, the function and configuration on carbon 17 (ketone for estrone, alcohol for alpha and beta isomers of estradiol), and on the purine itself (deoxyadenosine or deoxyguanosine). Both stable adducts and deglycosylated adducts are formed, and therefore formation of stable adducts on DNA as well as the loss of purines from the DNA strands could be possible. MS(2) and MS(3) experiments prove to be relevant for further structural determinations, enabling in some cases the elucidation of the regiochemistry of adduction on the A and B rings of the steroid moiety.