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In mammalian tissues, ultraweak chemiluminescence arising from biomolecule oxidation has been attributed to the radiative deactivation of singlet molecular oxygen [O2 ((1)Δg)] and electronically excited triplet carbonyl products involving dioxetane intermediates. Herein, we describe evidence of the generation of O2 ((1)Δg) in aqueous solution via energy transfer from excited triplet acetone. This involves thermolysis of 3,3,4,4-tetramethyl-1,2-dioxetane, a chemical source, and horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of 2-methylpropanal, as an enzymatic source. Both sources of excited carbonyls showed characteristic light emission at 1,270 nm, directly indicative of the monomolecular decay of O2 ((1)Δg). Indirect analysis of O2 ((1)Δg) by electron paramagnetic resonance using the chemical trap 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine showed the formation of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl. Using [(18)O]-labeled triplet, ground state molecular oxygen [(18)O2 ((3)Σg(-))], chemical trapping of (18)O2 ((1)Δg) with disodium salt of anthracene-9,10-diyldiethane-2,1-diyl disulfate yielding the corresponding double-[(18)O]-labeled 9,10-endoperoxide, was detected through mass spectrometry. This corroborates formation of O2 ((1)Δg). Altogether, photoemission and chemical trapping studies clearly demonstrate that chemically and enzymatically nascent excited carbonyl generates (18)O2 ((1)Δg) by triplet-triplet energy transfer to ground state oxygen O2 ((3)Σg(-)), and supports the long formulated hypothesis of O2 ((1)Δg) involvement in physiological and pathophysiological events that might take place in tissues in the absence of light.

DNA damage was investigated in the presence of sulfite, dissolved oxygen and cobalt(II) complexes with glycylglycylhistidine, glycylhistidyllysine, glycylglycyltyrosylarginine and tetraglycine. These studies indicated that only Co(II) complexed with glycylglycylhistidine (GGH) induced DNA strand breaks at low sulfite concentrations (1-80 microM) via strong oxidants formed in the reaction. In the presence of the other complexes, some damage occurred only in the presence of high sulfite concentrations (0.1-2.0 mM) after incubation for 4 h. In the presence of GGH, Co(II) and dissolved O2, DNA damage must involve a reactive high-valent cobalt complex. The damaging effect was increased by adding S(IV), due to the oxysulfur radicals formed as intermediates in S(IV) autoxidation catalyzed by the complex. SO3 -, HO and H radicals were detected by EPR-spin trapping experiments with DMPO (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide). The results indicate that Co(II) binds O2 in the presence of GGH, and leads to the formation of a DMPO-HO adduct without first forming free superoxide or hydroxyl radical, supporting the participation of a reactive high-valent cobalt complex.

It is now well established that oxidation of 2'-deoxyguanosine (dGuo) in DNA by singlet molecular oxygen [O2 (1Delta(g))] produces 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodGuo), whereas the main degradation products of free dGuo in aqueous solution have been identified as the two diastereomers of spiroiminodihydantoin nucleoside. Interestingly, O2 (1Delta(g))-mediated oxidation of free 8-oxodGuo gives rise to a pattern of degradation products that is different from that observed when the nucleoside is inserted into DNA. The reasons for these differences and the mechanisms involved in the oxidation reactions are not yet completely understood for either dGuo or 8-oxodGuo, either free or within DNA. In the present work, we report a study of the reaction of O2 (1Delta(g)) toward a modified nucleoside, 8-methoxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-MeOdGuo), either free or incorporated into an oligonucleotide. The reason for the choice of 8-MeOdGuo as a chemical model to study in more detail the oxidation pathways of 8-oxodGuo or, more precisely, of the tautomeric 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine was dictated by the fact that only the 7,8-enolic tautomer is present in the molecule. The thermolysis of an endoperoxide of a naphthalene derivative as a clean chemical source of 18O-labeled O2 (1Delta(g)) was used to oxidize 8-MeOdGuo. The main O2 (1Delta(g)) oxidation products that were separated and analyzed by HPLC coupled to tandem mass spectrometry were identified as the 2'-deoxyribonucleoside derivatives of 2,2,4-triamino-5-(2H)oxazolone, 2,5-diamino-4H-imidazol-4-one together with the methyl-substituted derivatives of spiroiminodihydantoin, oxidized iminoallantoin and urea. On the other hand, O2 (1Delta(g)) oxidation of 8-MeOdGuo-containing oligonucleotide generated imidazolone as the predominant degradation product. These results provided new mechanistic insights into the reactions of O2 (1Delta(g)) with purine nucleosides.

In pathogenic fungi, melanin contributes to virulence, allowing tissue invasion and inactivation of the plant defence system, but has never been implicated as a factor for host cell death, or as a light-activated phytotoxin. Our research shows that melanin synthesized by the fungal banana pathogen Mycosphaerella fijiensis acts as a virulence factor through the photogeneration of singlet molecular oxygen O2 (1Δg). Using analytical tools, including elemental analysis, ultraviolet/infrared absorption spectrophometry and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis, we characterized both pigment content in mycelia and secreted to the culture media as 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN)-melanin type compound. This is sole melanin-type in M. fijiensis. Isolated melanins irradiated with a Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm produced monomol light emission at 1270 nm, confirming generation of O2 (1Δg), a highly reactive oxygen specie (ROS) that causes cellular death by reacting with all cellular macromolecules. Intermediary polyketides accumulated in culture media by using tricyclazole and pyroquilon (two inhibitors of DHN-melanin synthesis) were identified by ESI-HPLC-MS/MS. Additionally, irradiation at 532 nm of that mixture of compounds and whole melanized mycelium also generated O2 (1Δg). A pigmented-strain generated more O2 (1Δg) than a strain with low melanin content. Banana leaves of cultivar Cavendish, naturally infected with different stages of black Sigatoka disease, were collected from field. Direct staining of the naturally infected leaf tissues showed the presence of melanin that was positively correlated to the disease stage. We also found hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) but we cannot distinguish the source. Our results suggest that O2 (1Δg) photogenerated by DHN-melanin may be involved in the destructive effects of Mycosphaerella fijiensis on banana leaf tissues. Further studies are needed to fully evaluate contributions of melanin-mediated ROS to microbial pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction of cytochrome c (cyt c) with cardiolipin (CL) induces protein conformational changes that favor peroxidase activity. This process has been correlated with CL oxidation and the induction of cell death. Here we report evidence demonstrating the generation of singlet molecular oxygen [O2(1Δg)] by a cyt c–CL complex in a model membrane containing CL. The formation of singlet oxygen was directly evidenced by luminescence measurements at 1270 nm and by chemical trapping experiments. Singlet oxygen generation required cyt c–CL binding and occurred at pH values higher than 6, consistent with lipid–protein interactions involving fully deprotonated CL species and positively charged residues in the protein. Moreover, singlet oxygen formation was specifically observed for tetralinoleoyl CL species and was not observed with monounsaturated and saturated CL species. Our results show that there are at least two mechanisms leading to singlet oxygen formation: one with fast kinetics involving the generation of singlet oxygen directly from CL hydroperoxide decomposition and the other involving CL oxidation. The contribution of the first mechanism was clearly evidenced by the detection of labeled singlet oxygen [18O2(1Δg)] from liposomes supplemented with 18-oxygen-labeled CL hydroperoxides. However quantitative analysis showed that singlet oxygen yield from CL hydroperoxides was minor (＜5%) and that most of the singlet oxygen is formed from the second mechanism. Based on these data and previous findings we propose a mechanism of singlet oxygen generation through reactions involving peroxyl radicals (Russell mechanism) and excited triplet carbonyl intermediates (energy transfer mechanism). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decomposition of peroxynitrite to nitrite and dioxygen at neutral pH follows complex kinetics, compared to its isomerization to nitrate at low pH. Decomposition may involve radicals or proceed by way of the classical peracid decomposition mechanism. Peroxynitrite (ONOOH/ONOO−) decomposition has been proposed to involve formation of peroxynitrate (O2NOOH/O2NOO−) at neutral pH (D. Gupta, B. Harish, R. Kissner and W. H. Koppenol, Dalton Trans., 2009, DOI: 10.1039/b905535e, see accompanying paper in this issue). Peroxynitrate is unstable and decomposes to nitrite and dioxygen. This study aimed to investigate whether O2NOO−formed upon ONOOH/ONOO−decomposition generates singlet molecular oxygen [O2(1Δg)]. As unequivocally revealed by the measurement of monomol light emission in the near infrared region at 1270 nm and by chemical trapping experiments, the decomposition of ONOO−or O2NOOH at neutral to alkaline pH generates O2(1Δg) at a yield of ca.1% and 2–10%, respectively. Characteristic light emission, corresponding to O2(1Δg) monomolecular decay was observed for ONOO−and for O2NOOH prepared by reaction of H2O2with NO2BF4and of H2O2with NO2−in HClO4. The generation of O2(1Δg) from ONOO−increased in a concentration-dependent manner in the range of 0.1–2.5 mM and was dependent on pH, giving a sigmoid profile with an apparent pKaaround pD 8.1 (pH 7.7). Taken together, our results clearly identify the generation of O2(1Δg) from peroxynitrate [O2NOO−→ NO2−+ O2(1Δg)] generated from peroxynitrite and also from the reactions of H2O2with either NO2BF4or NO2−in acidic media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been shown that melatonin exhibits antioxidant properties. Chemical structures of some of the products formed by the interaction of melatonin with reactive oxygen and nitrogen species have been elucidated. Despite some evidence that the reaction of melatonin with singlet molecular oxygen (O2 (1 Δg )) produces N 1 -acetyl-N 2 -formyl-5-methoxykynurenine (AFMK), it has not been fully documented. In this investigation, melatonin was oxidized by photosensitization with methylene blue or by a clean chemical source of O2 (1 Δg ), the thermodecomposition of N ,N ′-di(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-1,4-naphtalenedipropanamide (DHPNO2 ). The resulting product was characterized by high performance liquid chromatography, coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and also by 1 H, 13 C and dept135 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. An isotopically labeled DHPN18 O2 was also prepared and used as a chemical source of labeled 18 [O2 (1 Δg )] to unequivocally characterize the end product. The results uncovered by this work confirm the hypothesis that oxidation of melatonin by O2 (1 Δg ) produces AFMK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the synthesis of the [[sup 18]O]-labeled endoperoxide of N,N'-di(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-1,4-naphthalenedipropanamide. Ability of the endoperoxide to release labeled singlet oxygen; Mass spectrometry of the reaction products; Solubility in aqueous media; Mechanistic features of the reaction.