IRMPD action spectroscopy, ER-CID experiments, and theoretical approaches investigate intrinsic L-thymidine properties compared to D-thymidine: Findings support robust methodology

Soley, Erik O.; Devereaux, Zachary J.; Hamlow, L.A.; Berden, G.; Oomens, J.; Rodgers, M.T.

doi:10.1016/j.ijms.2019.04.003

Irradiation of the major conformation of duplex DNA found in cells (B form) produces cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) from adjacent pyrimidines in a head-to-head orientation (syn) with the C5 substituents in a cis stereochemistry. These CPDs have crucial implications in skin cancer. Irradiation of G-quadruplexes and other non-B DNA conformations in vitro produces, however, CPDs between non-adjacent pyrimidines in nearby loops with syn and head-to-tail orientations (anti) with both cis and trans stereochemistry to yield a mixture of six possible isomers of the T=T dimer. This outcome is further complicated by formation of mixtures of non-adjacent CPDs of dC=dT, dT=dC, and dC=dC, and successful analysis depends on development of specific and sensitive methods. Towards meeting this need, we investigated whether ion mobility mass spectrometry (IMMS) and MS/MS can distinguish the cis,syn and trans-anti T=T CPDs. Ion mobility can afford base-line separation and give relative mobilities that are in accord with predicted cross sections. Complementing this ability to distinguish isomers is MS/MS collisional activation where fragmentation also distinguishes the two isomers and confirms conclusions drawn from ion mobility analysis. The observations offer early support that ion mobility and MS/MS can enable the distinction of DNA photoproduct isomers.

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