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All oxygens in nucleic acids react with carcinogenic ethylating agents

Nature volume 264, pages 333–339 (1976)Cite this article

Abstract

Over 80% of ethylnitrosourea and ethylnitrosoguanidine modification of nucleic acids is on oxygens. The reactivity of oxygens (other than ribose and phosphate) in single-stranded RNA is: O2of C > O2 of U > O6 of G > O4 of U. In double-stranded DNA the order is: O2 of T = O6 of G > O4 of T ≫ O2 of C. Oxygen reactivity of single-stranded DNA resembles RNA. The glycosidic bond of O2-alkylpyrimidines is labilised.

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  1. Department of Molecular Biology and Virus Laboratory, and Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720

    B. Singer

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  1. B. Singer
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Singer, B. All oxygens in nucleic acids react with carcinogenic ethylating agents. Nature 264, 333–339 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/264333a0

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