Drug-induced DNA repair: X-ray structure of a DNA-ditercalinium complex.
Gao, Q., Williams, L.D., Egli, M., Rabinovich, D., Chen, S.L., Quigley, G.J., Rich, A.(1991) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 88: 2422-2426
- PubMed: 2006181
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.88.6.2422
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
1D32 - PubMed Abstract:
Ditercalinium is a synthetic anticancer drug that binds to DNA by bis-intercalation and activates DNA repair processes. In prokaryotes, noncovalent DNA-ditercalinium complexes are incorrectly recognized by the uvrABC repair system as covalent lesions on DNA. In eukaryotes, mitochondrial DNA is degraded by excess and futile DNA repair. Using x-ray crystallography, we have determined, to 1.7 A resolution, the three-dimensional structure of a complex of ditercalinium bound to the double-stranded DNA fragment [d(CGCG)]2. The DNA in the complex with ditercalinium is kinked (by 15 degrees) and severely unwound (by 36 degrees) with exceptionally wide major and minor grooves. Recognition of the DNA-ditercalinium complex by uvrABC in prokaryotes, and by mitochondrial DNA repair systems in eukaryotes, might be related to drug-induced distortion of the DNA helix.
Organizational Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139.