Specific recognition of DNA bulge structure by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

This study reports a novel approach utilizing an octahedral CoII(HAPP)(TFA)2 reagent in the presence of H2O2 with analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) to serve as an efficient probe for bulged DNA structures. Elucidation of DNA bulge-specific recognition pathways and cleavage mechanisms is demonstrated by characterization of bulge-specific cleavage products and other backbone lesion fragments. The cleavage specificity of CoII(HAPP)(TFA)2/H2O2 arises from sugar oxidative strand scission, for which the position of the abstracted hydrogen is unambiguously determined as the 4'-H of the deoxyribose moiety. Furthermore, differentiation between bulge-specific recognition and diffusion-controlled non-selective cleavage can be clarified through time-dependent MALDI-TOFMS studies. The present results demonstrate that MALDI-TOFMS can be a sensitive and efficient technique for complex mechanistic studies of this kind, providing information for future rational drug design targeting bulged DNA structures.