THE present study is concerned with the discovery that the carcinogenic hydrocarbon benzo(a)pyrene (3,4-benzopyrene) is more soluble in aqueous DNA solutions than in water (Booth, Boyland, Manson and Wiltshire, 1951). A subsequent quantitative study of the solubility of various nitrogen-containing polycyclic carcinogens (dibenzocarbazoles and dibenzacridines) in aqueous DNA solutions revealed a similar reaction with DNA (Booth and Boyland, 1953). The binding to nucleic acids and polynucleotides of various planar dye molecules [in particular the acridine dyes, acridine orange (e.g. Steiner and Beers, 1959;Bradley and Felsenfeld, 1959), acriflavine (Oster, 1951; Heilweil and Van WVinkle, 1955) and proflavine (Peacocke and Skerrett, 1956;Lerman, 1961)] has been investigated in many laboratories and there has been a recent report of the interaction of purine derivatives themselves with nucleic acids (Ts'o, Helmkamp and Sander, 1962).Almost all the planar molecules for which binding to nucleic acids has been demonstrated, contain hetero-atoms or groups which could provide specific binding sites. The polycycic hydrocarbons have no such groups, so that the binding of these molecules to nucleic acids is of particular interest quite apart from the obvious implications for the carcinogenic action of certain types. The interaction of the carcinogenic benzo(a)pyrene and non-carcinogenic pyrene with nucleic acids has therefore been investigated in more detail. EXPERIMENTAL MaterialsThe polycyclic hydrocarbons were those described previously (Boyland and Green, 1962).The nucleic acids were provided bv Professor J. A. V. Butler and Dr. K. S. Kirby. They were in the form of the sodium salts and a 0 05 per cent solution of DNA in water had a sodium ion concentration of about 0.001, which would protect it against spontaneous denaturation. The solutions referred to as 0 05 per cent are based upon the weight of DNA as supplied-without correction for bound water. (The DNA sample used for most experiments had a nitrogen content of 12 per cent and phosphorus content of 6-95 per cent.) Glass-distilled water was used throughout this work.Estimation of solubility of hydrocarbons in nucleic acid solutions Excess solid hydrocarbon was shaken with the 0 05 per cent nucleic acid solution for 16 hr. (overnight) at room temperature (-... 220 C.) in light-shielded flasks.
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