Interaction of dehydroheliotridine, a metabolite of heliotridine-based pyrrolizidine alkaloids, with native and heat-denatured deoxyribonucleic acid in vitro.

Dehydroheliotridine, a major pyrrolic metabolite of heliotridine-based pyrrolizidine alkaloids, interacted with both native and heat-denatured DNA in vitro under mildly acid conditions to form a soluble non-diffusible complex as shown by spectral data. The complex formed with heat-denatured DNA was more resistant than heat-denatured DNA alone to the combined action of deoxyribonuclease and phosphodiesterase. Analysis of the resistant fractions suggested the presence of at least one base not obtained from DNA alone.