Electron-Induced Elimination of the Bromide Anion from Brominated Nucleobases. A Computational Study

The enhancement of radiodamage to DNA labeled with halonucleobases is attributed to the reactive radical produced from a halonucleobase by the attachment of an electron. We examined at the B3LYP/6-31++G** level electron capture by four brominated nucleobases (BrNBs): 8-bromo-9-methyladenine, 8-bromo-9-methylguanine, 5-bromo-1-methylcytosine, and 5-bromo-1-methyluracil followed by the release of the bromide anion and a nucleobase radical. We demonstrate that neutral BrNBs in both gas and aqueous phases are better electron acceptors than unsubstituted NBs and that resulting anion radicals, BrNBs(center dot-), can easily transform into the product complex of the bromide anion and the nucleobase radical ([Br-center dot center dot center dot NB center dot]). The overall thermodynamic stimulus for the process starting with the neutral BrNB and ending with the isolated bromide anion and the NB center dot radical is similar in the case of all four BrNBs studied, which suggests their comparable radiosensitizing capabilities.