Issue 9, 2013

Specific recognition of DNA depurination by a luminescent terbium(iii) complex

Abstract

Recognition of DNA depurination is of great importance for early cancer detection. Current analytical methods for this purpose are usually complicated. Luminescent lanthanide complexes possess some fascinating optical properties that have shown potential applications in biomedical research. In this study, a novel terbium(III) complex (TbL) has been demonstrated to be capable of recognizing purine nucleobases in DNA as a selective time-resolved luminescence probe. TbL consists of a luminescent terbium(III) center and two nitroimidazole groups linked by a linear polydentate ligand. The luminescence of TbL is enhanced remarkably upon reaction with oligonucleotides or natural DNA containing purine bases in aqueous solution, while it is quenched dramatically as depurination occurs to DNA. Mechanistic studies using circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopies reveal that the luminescence enhancement results from the preferential intercalation between the nitroimidazole moieties of TbL and the purine bases of DNA, which regulate the electron withdrawing effect of nitro groups via hydrogen bonds and thereby affect the energy transfer from the ligand to the metal center of the probe. This mechanism is also supported by molecular dynamics simulation results for the reaction. The distinct luminescence responses of TbL in the presence and absence of purine bases in DNA make it a sensitive probe for DNA depurination in physiological conditions.

Graphical abstract: Specific recognition of DNA depurination by a luminescent terbium(iii) complex

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
26 jun 2013
Accepted
06 jul 2013
First published
16 jul 2013

Chem. Sci., 2013,4, 3748-3752

Specific recognition of DNA depurination by a luminescent terbium(III) complex

X. Wang, X. Wang, S. Cui, Y. Wang, G. Chen and Z. Guo, Chem. Sci., 2013, 4, 3748 DOI: 10.1039/C3SC51781K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements