Quantitative Analysis of DNA Interstrand Cross-Links and Monoadducts Formed in Human Cells Induced by Psoralens and UVA Irradiation

Upon exposure to UVA light, psoralens can induce DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs), which can block DNA replication and transcription. Among the psoralen derivatives, 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) is conventionally applied for psoriasis therapy, and amotosalen S59 is used to inactivate bacterial and viral pathogens in blood components. In addition to the ICL formation, psoralens also readily form various monoadducts (MAs) with thymidine residues in DNA when exposed to UVA light, and the biological implications for these monoadducts remain unclear. Here, we reported a method that encompassed digestion with a single enzyme (nuclease P1) and LC-MS/MS, for the simultaneous quantification of ICL and MAs induced in human cells exposed with 8-MOP or S59 and UVA light. Our results showed that the yield of ICL induced by S59, which increased from 3.9 to 12.8 lesions/10(3) nucleotides as the dose of UVA light increased from 0.5 to 10.0 j/cm(2), was similar to 100 fold more than that induced by 8-MOP. In addition, three and five products were identified as 8-MOP- and S59-MAs, respectively, and the yields of MAs were significantly lower than that for ICL The yields of the three 8-MOP-MAs were 7.6-2.2, 1.9-9.9, and 7.2-51 per 10(6) nucleotides and those of the five S59-MAs were 215-19, 106-39, 25-21, 32-146, and 22-26 per 106 nucleotides as the dose of UVA light increased from 0.5 to 10.0 j/cm(2). Although the yields of MAs induced by 8-MOP and S59 were lower than those of the respective ICLs under the same exposure conditions, the formation of appreciable amounts of MAs might account for some of the mutations induced by psoralens.