We recently reported that the reaction of N-hydroxy-3-aminobenzo[a] pyrene with calf thymus DNA produced 6-(deoxyguanosin-N2-yl)-3-aminobenzo[a]pyrene as the predominant adduct. The deoxyguanosinyl group of this adduct resides at the C6 position, which is remote from the reaction site, the nitrenium ion. It is significant to determine if formation of this type of DNA adduct is general and whether or not adduct formation is due to an increase in the stabilization of the nitrenium ion by increasing aromaticity. Thus, reduction of 1-nitro-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene, 3-nitro-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene, and 1-nitrobenzo[a]pyrene, both chemically and enzymatically, followed by reaction with calf thymus DNA was investigated. DNA was isolated and enzymatically digested, and the resulting modified nucleosides were separated by HPLC. Upon spectral analyses by mass and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, 6-(deoxyguanosin-N2-yl)-1-amino-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a] pyrene, 6-(deoxyguanosin-N2-yl)-3-amino-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene, and 6-(deoxyguanosin-N2-yl)-1-aminobenzo[a]pyrene were identified, respectively. The same DNA adducts were formed from xanthine oxidase-mediated reductive metabolism of 1-nitro-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene, 3-nitro-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene, and 1-nitrobenzo[a]pyrene in the presence of calf thymus DNA. Thee results indicate that formation of N2-deoxyguanosinyl adducts of this type is common and that increasing the aromaticity by increasing the number of aromatic rings is not a decisive factor in directing their formation.