Role of bisulfite in the deamination and the hydrogen isotope exchange of cytidylic acid.

The mechanism of the bisulfite-catalyzed deamination and hydrogen isotope exchange of cytidine 5 ' phosphate (CMP) was investigated by kinetic studies. The deamination which proceeds by the sequence, CMP + HS03CMP-bisulfite adduct (CMP-SO3-) + UMP-bisulfite adduct (UMP-SOI-), showed pseudo-first-order kinetics in the presence of a large excess of bisulfite. Apparent rate constants for CMP + UMP-SO$were determined, and the pH profile of the rate exhibited its maximum at pH 5. At pH 5 and 37" the rate constant, for example in 3 A4 sodium bisulfite solution, was 26.2 X lov5 sec-l. Examination of the relationship between the rate and bisulfite concentration has shown that the relative rate, klk in 1 M NaHS03, is proportional to KE[NaHS03]2/(1 + &[NaHSO$]), where KE is the experimentally measurable equilibrium constant for CMP a CMPSO3-. This relationship indicates that bisulfite ion participates in the hydrolysis of CMP-SO,to UMP-SO3in addition to the adduct-forming step CMP -. f CMP-S03-. Deamination of cytidine by bisulfite action is similar to that of CMP with respect to pH profile and dependence on bisulfite concentration, although the reaction velocity is somewhat greater than that for CMP. Ammonium sulfite is a more preferable agent than sodium sulfite in order to obtain a faster reaction because the ammonium salt is more soluble than the sodium salt and ammonia exhibits an accelerating effect upon the deamination of CMP. Bisulfite-catalyzed hydrogen-deuterium exchange at the 5 position of CMP showed a pD maximum at 5.4 where the deamination concomitantly occurring was also maximal. Furthermore, dependence of the exchange rate on bisulfite concentration showed the same characteristic as that of the deamination. It was therefore concluded that two molecules of bisulfite were participating in both the deamination and the isotope exchange of a molecule of CMP. ecently various aspects of bisulfite action on pyrimiR dine nucleosides have been revealed. Bisulfite ion adds across the 5,6 double bond of cytosine and uracil nucleosides, and the cytosine-bisulfite adduct is readily deaminated to give the uracil-bisulfite. 2-4 This reaction was considered to be responsible for the mutagenic activity of bi~ulfite,~ and the bisulfite reaction has been utilized in chemical modification of tRNA.6-9 Furthermore, in the bisulfite adduct of cytidine and uridine, the carbon-hydrogen bond at position 5 is labile so that the hydrogen can be easily replaced by deuterium or tritium. l0v11 Current studies have disclosed another important aspect of bisulfite action on nucleotides, the free-radical reactions accompanying autoxidation. Thus, addition of sulfite radical occurs at the sulfur atom of 4-thiouridine12 and 2-thiouracil13 and at the olefinic double bond of isopentenyladenosine; l 4 in dilute bisulfite (1) This work was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Education, Japan. A part of the work was published as a preliminary note: H. Hayatsu and M. Sono, J . Chem. Soc. D, 1178 (1971). (2) R. Shapiro, R. E. Servis, and M. Welcher, J. Amer. Chem. Soc. , 92, 422 (1970). (3) H. Hayatsu, Y. Wataya, and K. Kai, J . Amer. Chem. SOC. , 92, 724 (1970). (4) H. Hayatsu, Y. Wataya, K. Kai, and S. Iida, Biochemistry, 9, 2858 (1970). (5) H. Hayatsu and A. Miura, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. , 39, 156 (1970). (6) Y. Furuichi, Y. Wataya, H. Hayatsu, and T. Ukita, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 41. 1185 (1970). (7) -2. KuCan, K . A. Freude, L'KuCan, and R. W. Chambers, Nafure (8) R. P. Singhal, J. B id . Chem., 246, 5848 (1971). (9) J. P. Goddard and L. H. Schulman, J . Biol. Chem., 247, 3864 (London), New Biol., 232,177 (1971). (1972). (10) K. Kai, Y. Wataya, and H. Hayatsu, J . Amer. Chem. SOC. , 93, 2089 (1971). (11) Y. Wataya and H. Hayatsu, Biochemistry, 11, 3583 (1972). (12) H. Hayatsu and M. Inoue, J . Amer. Chem. Soc. , 93, 2301 (13) M. Sono and H. Hayatsu, Chem. Pharm. Bull., 21,995 (1973). (1971). solution (10-2-10-3 M ) under the catalysis of Mn2+ ion for the autoxidation, double-stranded DNA is rapidly altered in a manner that leads to chain cleavage in alkaline sucrose solution;15 under similar conditions, transforming activity of B. subtilis DNA is lost with considerable velocity. l6 These studies have at the same time provided implications for possible adverse effects of environmental sulfur dioxide. In particular, the mutagenic activity is of considerable concern from such a standpoint. There is evidence from genetic studies that the deamination of cytosine residues in DNA by bisulfite is indeed the cause of the mutagenesis. 17, l8 In the bisulfite-catalyzed deamination of CMPl9 the first step (step l), addition of bisulfite to CMP yielding CMP-S03(Chart I), is reversible and the equilibrium is reached very rapidly. Step 2, the deamination of CMP-S03to give the UMP-bisulfite adduct UMP-S03-, is the rate-determining step. UMP-SO3is stable at pH 1 7 , although it liberates bisulfite on treatment with alkali giving UMP. The aim of the present research is to investigate the mechanism of the overall reaction CMP -, UMP-S03-. We carried out detailed kinetic studies on the bisulfitecatalyzed deamination of CMP. In addition, the bisulfite-catalyzed hydrogen isotope exchange at the 5 position of CMP was compared with the deamination with respect to dependence on pH and bisulfite concentration. (14) H. Hayatsu, Y. Wataya, Y . Furuichi, and Y . Kawazoe, Chemo(15) H. Hayatsu and R. C . Miller, Jr., Biochem. Biophys. Res. (16) M. Inoue, H. Hayatsu, and H. Tanooka, Chem.-Bid. Inter(17) F. Mukai, I. Hawryluk, and R. Shapiro, Biochem. Biophys. (18) G . A. Summers and J. W. Drake, Generics, 68,603 (1971). (19) CMP represents cytidine 5'-phosphate; UMP, uridine 5'-phossphere, 1, 75 (1972). Commun. , 46, 120 (1972). actions, 5, 85 (1972). Res. Commun. , 39,983 (1970). phate; [SI represents concentration of total bisulfite buffer. Sono, Wataya, Hayatsu / Hydrogen Isotope Exchange of Cytidylic Acid