Oxidative degradation pathways of cellular DNA: product formation and mechanistic insights

More than 100 oxidized purine and pyrimidine nucleosides including hydroperoxides and diastereomers have been characterized so far in extensive model studies. However, much less information is currently available on the oxidatively generated base damage to cellular DNA at the exception however of the overwhelming modifications produced by singlet oxygen ((1)O2). This is mostly due to analytical difficulties that are now, at least, partly overcome with the advent of the accurate and sensitive high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS/MS). Hydroxyl radical ((•)OH) and one-electron oxidants that may be either endogenously formed through oxidative metabolism, phagocytosis, inflammation and other pathological conditions are predominantly at the origin of oxidatively generated damage to cellular DNA. It is worth mentioning that exposure of cells to exogenous physical agents (UVA light, high intensity UV laser, ionizing radiation) and chemicals such as bromate may also induce oxidatively generated damage to DNA. Emphasis is placed in this presentation on the critical survey of the main recently available information concerning the formation of (1)O2, (•)OH and one-electron oxidant-mediated single and more complex DNA damage (tandem lesions, intra- and interstrand cross-links, DNA-protein cross-links) arising from one radical hit. Evidence was provided that (•)OH and one-electron oxidants, through the generation of neutral radicals and radical cations respectively from nucleobases, are able to induce partly common degradation pathways. In addition selective oxidative reactions giving rise to specific degradation products of (•)OH and one-electron oxidation reactions that can be used as representative biomarkers of these oxidants have been identified. Emphasis was recently placed on the detection of oxidatively generated damage to cytosine and 5-methylcytosine in human cells.