Oxidation of ribonucleic acids with m-chloroperbenzoic acid

Abstract

Reaction conditions are described under which treatment with m-chioroperbenzoic acid yields N-oxides of poly-(adenylic acid) and poly(cytidylic acid), but not of poly(uridylicacid), poly(guanylic acid), orpoly(inosinicacid). The interaction of poly(A)N-oxides with poly(U) and poly(C)N-oxides with poly(I) decreases with increasing degree of oxidation. The rates of oxidation of adenine and cytosine bases in poly(A)˙poly(U) and poly(I)·poly(C) are less than the rates of oxidation of the same bases in poly(A) and poly(C), but oxidation does not occur selectively in single-stranded regions, as reported previously for oxidation with monoperoxyphthalic acid. Oxidation of a natural double-stranded RNA occurs at adenine, cytosine, and guanine units.