Structures of Silver Fingers and a Pathway to Their Genotoxicity

Recently, we demonstrated that AgI can directly replace ZnII in zinc fingers (ZFs). The cooperative binding of to ZFs leads a thermodynamically irreversible formation silver clusters destroying the native ZF structure. Thus, reported loss biological function proteins is likely consequence such replacement. Here, report an X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) study AgnSn formed probe their structural features. Selective probing local environment around by XAS showed predominance digonal coordination two sulfur donors, coordinated with average Ag−S distance at 2.41 Å. No Ag−N bonds were present. A mixed AgS2/AgS3 geometry was found solely CCCH AgI−ZF. We also show replacement ions studied Ag2S2 occurred three-ZF transcription factor protein 1MEY#, leading dissociation 1MEY# from complex its cognate DNA.