A study of the formation of interstrand and intrastrand crosslinks through abasic site and cleaved abasic site chemistry
DNA is the fundamental molecule that governs the creation, maintenance, and functionality of all living organisms. When damaged, negative consequences such as genome instability or cell death can occur. One common, unavoidable, and highly reactive form of DNA damage is the formation of apurinic/apyrimidinic sites (known as abasic sites); which occur at least 10,000 times per cell per day. If left unrepaired, subsequent damages such as interstrand crosslinks or strand cleavage can arise. While numerous studies have been conducted on crosslinks and strand cleavage, there is still much unknown information that warrants further investigation. This dissertation will use the tools of bio-organic chemistry to examine the properties of interstrand crosslinks formation and the subsequent reactions that occur after spermine-mediated strand cleavage at an abasic site.
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