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Photosensitive Surfactants with Various Hydrophobic Tail Lengths for the Photocontrol of Genomic DNA Conformation with Improved Efficiency
Author(s) -
Diguet Antoine,
Mani Naresh Kumar,
Geoffroy Marie,
Sollogoub Matthieu,
Baigl Damien
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201001579
Subject(s) - dna , molecule , chemistry , nucleic acid , cationic polymerization , biophysics , stereochemistry , crystallography , organic chemistry , biochemistry , biology
Abstract We report the synthesis and characterisation of photosensitive cationic surfactants with various hydrophobic tail lengths. These molecules, called AzoC x , are used as photosensitive nucleic acid binders (pNABs) and are applied to the photocontrol of DNA conformation. All these molecules induce DNA compaction in a photodependent way, originating in the photodependent polarity of their hydrophobic tails. We show that increasing hydrophobicity strongly enhances the compaction efficiencies of these molecules, but reduces the possibility of reversible photocontrol of a DNA conformation. Optimal performance was achieved with AzoC5, which allowed reversible control of DNA conformation with light at a concentration seven times smaller than previously reported.