Homodinuclear (Pt,Pt) and heterodinuclear (Ru,Pt) metal compounds as DNA-protein cross-linking agents: Potential suicide DNA lesions

Homodinuclear (Pt,Pt) and heterodinuclear (Ru,Pt) metal compounds having the generalized formula M(a)NH2(CH)4NH2M(b) are shown to form specific DNA lesions which can efficiently cross-link proteins to DNA. In this study, the homodinuclear case is represented by M(a) = M(b) = [cis-Pt(Cl2)-(NH3)] and the heterodinuclear case is represented by M(a) = [cis-RuCl2(DMSO)3] and M(b) = [cis-PtCl2(NH3)]. Native and denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to show the formation of ternary coordination complexes between the metal-treated 49-bp DNA fragment and the Escherichia coli UvrA and UvrB DNA repair proteins. Treatment with proteinase K results in loss of the DNA-protein cross-links. DNA-protein cross-links formed between UvrA and DNA previously modified with the dinuclear metal compounds are reversible with the reducing agent beta-mercaptoethanol. The DNA lesion responsible for efficient DNA-protein cross-linking is most probably a DNA-DNA interstrand cross-link in which each metal atom is coordinated with one strand of the DNA helix. The formation of DNA repair protein associated DNA cross-links, potential "suicide adducts", suggests a novel action mechanism for these anticancer compounds. In addition, these dinuclear metal compounds should be very useful agents for the investigation of a wide range of protein-DNA interactions.