Reversible Alkylation of DNA by Quinone Methides

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA 

The chemical and biological implications of compounds that support reversible but covalent processes are often lost in a common assumption that all covalent reactions of DNA are irreversible. Difficulty with reversible reactions is often encountered while attempting to isolate labile products as mentioned above and described more fully in Section 9.2. Yet, reversibility also has the potential to extend the effective lifetime of transient intermediates (Section 9.3.2) and support selective, target-promoted QM 

Quinone Methides, Edited by Steven E. Rokita Copyright 2009 John Wiley Sons, Inc., Publication. 

SCHEME 9.3 DNA adducts may reform after excision repair and return to react with DNA again. 

2 Initial Reports of Reversible Alkylation by Quinone Methides 

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