Reaction of hydroxylamine at high concentration with deoxycytidine or with polycytidylic acid: Evidence that substitution of amino groups in cytosine residues by hydroxylamino is a primary reaction, and the possible relevance to hydroxylamine mutagenesis

Abstract

Detailed examination of the kinetics of the reaction between high concentrations of hydroxylamine and deoxycytidine or polycytidylic acid at pH 6.5, 37 °C, determined by change in ultraviolet absorption spectra, showed that about a quarter of the initial reaction products were formed by direct substitution of the amino group of the cytosine moiety by hydroxylamino. The possible significance of this finding for the molecular mechanism of mutagenesis by hydroxylamine is discussed.