Synthesis and coding properties of dinucleoside diphosphates containing alkyl pyrimidines which are formed by the action of carcinogens on nucleic acids

Dinucleoside diphosphates of the general type pGpN have been prepared enzymatically using ribonuclease N1. Alkylated uridines or cytidines, which are products of carcinogens acting on nucleic acids, were tested in dinucleoside diphosphates for their ability to stimulate the binding of Ala- or Val-tRNA to ribosomes. O2-Ethyl C and 3-methyl C functioned as U, but not as C. In contrast, 3-methyl U behaved as C, but not as U. Both O2 and O4-ethyl U could be recognized as C or U, although binding in both cases was weak. Thus, modifications of the hydrogen-bonding sites of U or C causes miscoding and could be considered to represent mutagenic reactions.