Sequence‐Dependent Diastereospecific and Diastereodivergent Crosslinking of DNA by Decarbamoylmitomycin C

Mitomycin C (MC), a potent antitumor drug, and decarbamoylmitomycin C (DMC), a derivative lacking the carbamoyl group, form highly cytotoxic DNA interstrand crosslinks. The major interstrand crosslink formed by DMC is the C1′′ epimer of the major crosslink formed by MC. The molecular basis for the stereochemical configuration exhibited by DMC was investigated using biomimetic synthesis. The formation of DNA‐DNA crosslinks by DMC is diastereospecific and diastereodivergent: Only the 1′′S‐diastereomer of the initially formed monoadduct can form crosslinks at GpC sequences, and only the 1′′R‐diastereomer of the monoadduct can form crosslinks at CpG sequences. We also show that CpG and GpC sequences react with divergent diastereoselectivity in the first alkylation step: 1“S stereochemistry is favored at GpC sequences and 1′′R stereochemistry is favored at CpG sequences. Therefore, the first alkylation step results, at each sequence, in the selective formation of the diastereomer able to generate an interstrand DNA‐DNA crosslink after the ”second arm“ alkylation. Examination of the known DNA adduct pattern obtained after treatment of cancer cell cultures with DMC indicates that the GpC sequence is the major target for the formation of DNA–DNA crosslinks in vivo by this drug. GpC sequences are crosslinked by mitomycins in duplex DNA: Decarbamoylmitomycin C (DMC) is able to form DNA interstrand crosslinks both at GpC and CpG sequences. The crosslinks have an opposite stereochemical configuration at each sequence. The GpC sequence is the major target for DNA crosslinking in cell cultures by this drug, in marked contrast to the current consensus of CpG specificity for mitomycins.