C5′- and C3′-sugar radicals produced via photo-excitation of one-electron oxidized adenine in 2′-deoxyadenosine and its derivatives

We report that photo-excitation of one-electron-oxidized adenine [A(-H)•] in dAdo and its 2′-deoxyribonucleotides leads to formation of deoxyribose sugar radicals in remarkably high yields. Illumination of A(-H)• in dAdo, 3′-dAMP and 5′-dAMP in aqueous glasses at 143 K leads to 80-100% conversion to sugar radicals at C5′ and C3′. The position of the phosphate in 5′- and 3′-dAMP is observed to deactivate radical formation at the site of substitution. In addition, the pH has a crucial influence on the site of sugar radical formation; e.g. at pH ∼5, photo-excitation of A(-H)• in dAdo at 143 K produces mainly C5′• whereas only C3′• is observed at high pH ∼12. (13)C substitution at C5′ in dAdo yields (13)C anisotropic couplings of (28, 28, 84) G whose isotropic component 46.7 G identifies formation of the near planar C5′•. A β-(13)C 16 G isotropic coupling from C3′• is also found. These results are found to be in accord with theoretically calculated (13)C couplings at C5′ [DFT, B3LYP, 6-31(G) level] for C5′• and C3′•. Calculations using time-dependent density functional theory [TD-DFT B3LYP, 6-31G(d)] confirm that transitions in the near UV and visible induce hole transfer from the base radical to the sugar group leading to sugar radical formation.