Bisulfite Activation of Cytosine

Since the site of modification on cytosine bases is at a hydrogen bonding position in double helix formation, the degree of bisulfite derivatization should be carefully controlled. Reaction conditions such as pH, diamine concentration, and incubation time and temperature affect the yield and type of products formed during the transamination process. At low concentrations of diamine, deamination and uracil formation dramatically exceed transamination. At high concentrations of diamine (3M), transamination can approach 100 percent yield (Draper and Gold, 1980). Ideally, only about 30-40 bases should be modified per 1,000 bases to assure hybridization ability after derivatization. 

Bisulfite modification of cytosine residues also can be used to add permanently a sulfone group to the C-6 position. In this scheme, the sulfone functions as a hapten recognizable by specific anti-sulfone antibodies. At high concentrations of bisulfite and in the presence of methyl-hydroxylamine, cytosines are transformed into N4-methoxy-5,6-dihydrocytosine-6-sulphonate derivatives (Herzberg, 1984 Nur et al., 1989). Labeled antibodies can then be used to detect the hybridization of such probes. 

Protocol for Labeling Nucleic Acids by Bisulfite-Catalyzed Transamination 

Prepare bisulfite modification solution consisting of 3 M concentration of a diamine (i.e., ethylenediamine), 1M sodium bisulfite, pH 6. The use of the dihydrochloride form of the diamine avoids having to adjust the pH down from the severe alkaline pH of the free-base form. Note The optimum pH for transaminating biotin-hydrazide to cytosine residues using bisulfite is 4.5 (see Section 2.3, this chapter). 

Dialyze the solution against water overnight at 4°C to remove excess reactants. 

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The hydrazide derivative of AMCA can be used to modify aldehyde- or ketone-containing molecules, including cytosine residues using the bisulfite activation procedure described in Chapter 27, Section 2.1. AMCA-hydrazide reacts with these target groups to form hydrazone bonds (Figure 9.26). Carbohydrates and glycoconjugates can be labeled specifically at their polysaccharide portion if the required aldehydes are first formed by periodate oxidation or another such method (Chapter 1, Section 4.4). 

Biotin-Hydrazide Modification of Bisulfite-Activated Cytosine Groups... 

Fluorescein-5-thiosemicarbazide is a hydrazide derivative of fluorescein that can spontaneously react with aldehyde- or ketone-containing molecules to form a covalent, hydrazone linkage (Fig. 208) (Pierce). It also can be used to label cytosine residues in DNA or RNA by use of the bisulfite activation procedure (Chapter 17, Section 2.1). The resulting fluorescent derivative exhibits an excitation maximum at a wavelength of 492 nm and a maximal emission wavelength of 519 nm when dissolved in buffer at pH 8.6. In the same buffered environment, the compound has an extinction coefficient of approximately 78,000 M-1cm 1 at 492 nm. 

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