UV-A radiation (320-400 nm) induces damage to the DNA molecule and its components through different photosensitized reactions. Among these processes, photosensitized oxidations may occur through electron transfer or hydrogen abstraction (type I) and/or the production of singlet molecular oxygen ((1)O2) (type II). Pterins, heterocyclic compounds widespread in biological systems, participate in relevant biological processes and are able to act as photosensitizers. We have investigated the photosensitized oxidation of 2'-deoxyguanosine 5'-monophosphate (dGMP) by pterin (PT) in aqueous solution under UV-A irrradiation. Kinetic analysis was employed to evaluate the participation of both types of mechanism under different pH conditions. The rate constant of (1)O2 total quenching (k(t)) by dGMP was determined by steady-state analysis of the (1)O2 NIR luminescence, whereas the rate constant of the chemical reaction between (1)O2 and dGMP (k(r)) was evaluated from kinetic analysis of concentration profiles obtained by HPLC. The results show that the oxidation of dGMP photosensitized by PT occurs through two competing mechanisms that contribute in different proportions depending on the pH. The dominant mechanism in alkaline media involves the reaction of dGMP with (1)O2 produced by energy transfer from the PT triplet state to molecular oxygen (type II). In contrast, under acidic pH conditions, where PT and the guanine moiety of dGMP are not ionized, the main pathway for dGMP oxidation involves an initial electron transfer between dGMP and the PT triplet state (type I mechanism). The biological implications of the results obtained are also discussed.

Pterins, heterocyclic compounds widespread in biological systems, accumulate in the skin of patients suffering from vitiligo, a chronic depigmentation disorder. Pterins have been previously identified as good photosensitizers under UV-A irradiation. In this work, we have investigated the ability of pterin (Ptr), the parent compound of oxidized pterins, to photosensitize the oxidation of tyrosine (Tyr) in aqueous solutions. Tyr is an important target in the study of the photodynamic effects of UV-A radiation because it is oxidized by singlet oxygen ((1)O2) and plays a key role in polymerization and cross-linking of proteins. Steady UV-A irradiation of solutions containing Ptr and Tyr led to the consumption of Tyr and dissolved O2, whereas the Ptr concentration remained unchanged. Concomitantly, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was produced. By combining different analytical techniques, we could establish that the mechanism of the photosensitized process involves an electron transfer from Tyr to the triplet excited state of Ptr. Mass spectrometry, chromatography and fluorescence were used to analyze the photoproducts. In particular, oxygenated and dimeric compounds were identified.

Human serum albumin (HSA) is the most abundant protein in the circulatory system. Oxidized albumin was identified in the skin of patients suffering from vitiligo, a depigmentation disorder in which the protection against ultraviolet (UV) radiation fails because of the lack of melanin. Oxidized pterins, efficient photosensitizers under UV-A irradiation, accumulate in the skin affected by vitiligo. In this work, we have investigated the ability of pterin (Ptr), the parent compound of oxidized pterins, to induce structural and chemical changes in HSA under UV-A irradiation. Our results showed that Ptr is able to photoinduce oxidation of the protein in at least two amino acid residues: tryptophan (Trp) and tyrosine (Tyr). HSA undergoes oligomerization, yielding protein structures whose molecular weight increases with irradiation time. The protein cross-linking, due to the formation of dimers of Tyr, does not significantly affect the secondary and tertiary structures of HSA. Trp is consumed in the photosensitized process, and N-formylkynurenine was identified as one of its oxidation products. The photosensitization of HSA takes place via a purely dynamic process, which involves the triplet excited state of Ptr. The results presented in this work suggest that protein photodamage mediated by endogenous photosensitizers can significantly contribute to the harmful effects of UV-A radiation on the human skin.

Folic acid, or pteroyl-l-glutamic acid (PteGlu), is a precursor of coenzymes involved in the metabolism of nucleotides and amino acids. PteGlu is composed of three moieties: a 6-methylpterin (Mep) residue, a p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) residue, and a glutamic acid (Glu) residue. Accumulated evidence indicates that photolysis of PteGlu leads to increased risk of several pathologies. Thus, a study of PteGlu photodegradation can have significant ramifications. When an air-equilibrated aqueous solution of PteGlu is exposed to UV-A radiation, the rate of the degradation increases with irradiation time. The mechanism involved in this "auto-photo-catalytic" effect was investigated in aqueous solutions using a variety of tools. Whereas PteGlu is photostable under anaerobic conditions, it is converted into 6-formylpterin (Fop) and p-aminobenzoyl-l-glutamic acid (PABA-Glu) in the presence of oxygen. As the reaction proceeds and enough Fop accumulates in the solution, a photosensitized electron-transfer process starts, where Fop photoinduces the oxidation of PteGlu to Fop, and H(2)O(2) is formed. This process also takes place with other pterins as photosensitizers. The results are discussed with the context of previous mechanisms for processes photosensitized by pterins, and their biological implications are evaluated.

Pterins, a family of heterocyclic compounds derived from 2-aminopteridin-4(1H)-one, are widespread in living systems and participate in important biological functions, such as metabolic redox processes. Under UV-A excitation (320-400 nm), aromatic pterins (Pt) can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), as a consequence of both energy-and electrontransfer processes from their triplet excited state. Quantum yields of singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) production depend largely on the nature of the substituents on the pterin moiety and on the pH. Formation of the superoxide anion by electron transfer between the pterin radical anion and molecular oxygen leads to the production of significant amounts of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) by disproportionation. Dihydropterins (H 2 Pt) do not produce 1 O 2 but are oxidized by this species with high rate constants yielding pterins as well as H 2 O 2 . In contrast to aromatic derivatives, H 2 Pt are oxidized by H 2 O 2 , and rates and products strongly depend on the nature of the substituents on the H 2 Pt moiety. Aromatic pterins have been found in vivo under pathological conditions, e.g., biopterin or 6-carboxypterin are present in the skin of patients affected by vitiligo, a depigmentation disorder. The biomedical implications of the production of ROS by pterin derivatives and their reactivity with these species are discussed.

Photochemical studies of the reactivity of 6-(hydroxymethyl)pterin ( 2-amino-6-(hydroxymethyl)pteridin-4(1H)-one; HPT) in alkaline aqueous solutions (pH 10.2 ± 10.8) at 350 nm and room temperature were performed. The photochemical reactions were followed by UV/VIS spectrophotometry, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and an enzymatic method for H 2 O 2 determination. In the presence of O 2 , 6-formylpterin ( 2-amino-3,4-dihydro-4-oxopteridine-6-carboxaldehyde; FPT) was the only photoproduct detected. In the absence of O 2 , we observed a compound with an absorbance maximum at 480 nm, which was oxidized very rapidly by O 2 in a dark reaction to yield FPT. The quantum yields of substrates disappearance and of photoproducts formation were determined. The formation of H 2 O 2 during photooxidation was monitored, and the number of mol of H 2 O 2 released per mol of HPT consumed corresponded to a 1 : 1 stoichiometry. HPT was also investigated for efficiency of singlet-oxygen ( ), indicating that this compound was able to quench 1 O 2 . However, 1 O 2 did not participate in the photooxidation of HPT to FPT.

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6-Substituted 7,8-dihydropterins (¼ 2-amino-7,8-dihydropteridin-4(1H)-ones) are heterocyclic compounds that occur in a wide range of living systems and participate in relevant biological functions. In airequilibrated aqueous solutions, these compounds react with dissolved O 2 (autooxidation). The rates of these reactions as well as the products formed strongly depend on the chemical structure of the substituents. 7,8-Dihydro-6-methylpterin and 7,8-dihydro-6,7-dimethylpterin that bear electron-donor groups as substituents are the most reactive derivatives and undergo oxidation of the pterin moiety to yield the corresponding oxidized derivatives (6-methylpterin and 6,7-dimethylpterin, resp.). The oxidations of 7,8-dihydrobiopterin, 7,8-dihydroneopterin, and 7,8-dihydrofolic acid are slower, and they yield 7,8-dihydroxanthopterin as the main product. 7,8-Dihydroxanthopterin, 6-formyl-7,8-dihydropterin, and sepiapterin are rather stable, and their consumption in air-equilibrated solutions is negligible for several days. The pseudo-first-order rate constants of the reactions between these compounds and O 2 at 258 and 408 are reported. The biological implications of the results obtained are also discussed.