Hypericin site specific interactions within polynucleotides used as DNA model compounds

J Biomol Struct Dyn. 1995 Dec;13(3):547-52. doi: 10.1080/07391102.1995.10508865.

Abstract

Interactions of the antiretroviral hypericin molecule with polynucleotides, i.e. poly(dG-dC), poly(dA-dT), poly(rG) and poly(rC), have been studied in aqueous solutions by resonance Raman spectroscopy, using an UV excitation wavelength which induces a specific resonance enhancement of spectral band intensities corresponding to proper nucleic base modes of vibration. It is shown that: i) hypericin selectively interacts with the N7 sites of purines, ii) the strength of interaction depends on the polymer structure, and: iii) interaction with guanine is stronger than with adenine molecules.

MeSH terms

  • Anthracenes
  • Antiviral Agents / chemistry*
  • Antiviral Agents / metabolism
  • Binding Sites
  • Guanine
  • Molecular Structure
  • Perylene / analogs & derivatives*
  • Perylene / chemistry
  • Perylene / metabolism
  • Poly C / metabolism
  • Poly G / metabolism
  • Poly dA-dT / metabolism
  • Polydeoxyribonucleotides / metabolism
  • Polynucleotides / metabolism*

Substances

  • Anthracenes
  • Antiviral Agents
  • Polydeoxyribonucleotides
  • Polynucleotides
  • Poly G
  • Poly dA-dT
  • poly(dC-dG)
  • Poly C
  • Perylene
  • Guanine
  • hypericin