Acquired antigenicity of DNA after modification with peroxynitrite.

There are many contaminants affecting human beings, the most important being the metabolites of gases in air around us or certain deleterious by products from metabolic activity. They are reactive species of nitrogen, oxygen and their derivatives. Nitrogen is taken into body as nitrates, nitrites, peptides, proteins, etc. and its metabolites include higher oxides of nitrogen and peroxynitrite. Although NO is a free radical, it is probably insufficiently reactive to attack DNA directly. By contrast its derivatives N2O3, HNO2, ONOO- can nitrate, deaminate, cause strand breaks in DNA leading to serious consequences including mutations. The study exploits this property of ONOO-, such that on modification DNA which in its native form is non-immunogenic acquires the ability to elicit immune response in experimental animals. The extent of modifications, characterization of induced antibodies along with antigen-antibody interactions are studied and analyzed through different techniques.