Biopolymers and cell. 2002; 18 (3): 243 - 252

Interaction of cyanine dyes with nucleic acids. Meso-substituted trimethincyanines for fluorescent detection of nucleic acids

S. S. Lukashov, M. Yu. Losytskyy, Yu. P. Kovtun, S. M. Yarmoluk

A series of trimethinecyanines with different meso-substituents in polymethine chain has been synthesized, and spectral luminescent properties of the dyes in the presence of double-stranded DNA, RNA and bovine serum, albumin (BSA) have been examined. The dyes fluorescence enhances up to 270-fold in the presence of nucleic acids while in the presence of protein the increase is lower. The highest rise of fluorescence intensity has been observed for the dye-nucleic acid complexes of meso-methyl-substituted dyes. When large substituents like aryl- or tret-alkyl groups are linked to the mesa-position of the dyes polymethine chain by a flexible chain from 1—3 CH^-groups, the fluorescent properties of these dyes are similar to those of the meso-methyl-substituted dyes.