Sequence dependence on DNA photochemistry: a computational study of photodimerization pathways in TpdC and dCpT dinucleotides

The excited states involved in the main photodimerization paths in TpdC and dCpT are mapped by PCM/TD-M052X calculations, considering different dinucleotide conformers. As for TT steps, a cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) is formed on the PES of the lowest energy exciton, delocalized over two stacked pyrimidines; 6-4 pyrimidine-pyrimidone (64-PP) adduct's formation involves instead a 5'-ter -> 3'-ter charge transfer state. For dCpT, 64-PP dimerization occurs via a two-step reaction, which proceeds through an oxetane intermediate. For TpdC, instead, the final 64-PP product is obtained in a single step and it is as stable as the CPD photoproduct, explaining the relatively large yield of 64-PP found experimentally for TC steps in DNA.