The effect of platinum derivatives on interfacial properties of DNA

The interaction of DNA modified by the binding of various platinum compounds with an electrically charged mercury surface was studied by means of linear sweep voltammetry. It was found that DNA and its adducts with antitumour active cis-diammine-dichloroplatinum(II) (cis-DDP) on the one hand and antitumour inactive trans-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (trans-DDP) and diethylenetriaminechloroplatinum(II) chloride (dien-Pt) on the other were unwound due to their adsorption on the negatively charged mercury surface polarized to the potentials of a narrow region around -1.2 V (vs. saturated calomel electrode). The modification of DNA by bifunctional platinum compounds (cis- and trans-DDP) resulted in a substantial lowering of the extent of this interfacial conformational rearrangement, the modification by trans-DDP being more effective. The modification of DNA by monofunctional dien-Pt influenced the unwinding of DNA on the mercury surface only negligibly. It has been concluded that in particular interstrand cross-links induced by platinum compounds in DNA are responsible for the effect of these drugs on the extent of the interfacial unwinding of DNA. This conclusion is in good agreement with the view that among the lesions induced in DNA by platinum compounds, the interstrand cross-links are of less significance from the point of view of the antitumour efficacy of these inorganic drugs.