ABSTRACT
Adduct: The covalent linkage or addiction product between an alkylating agent and cellular macromolecules such as protein, RNA, and DNA.
Alkylating agent: A chemical compound that has positively charged (electrondeficient) groups that can form covalent linkages with negatively charged portions of biological molecules such as DNA. The covalent linkage is referred to as an adduct and may have mutagenic or carcinogenic effects on the organism. The alkyl species is the radical that results when an aliphatic hydrocarbon loses one hydrogen atom to become electron-deficient. Alkylating agents react primarily with guanine, adding their alkyl group to N7 of the purine ring.
