Premium
THE INTERACTION OF 8‐AZIDOETHIDIUM AND tRNA
Author(s) -
Bertrand Nancy J.,
KEARNs David R.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-1097.1982.tb04336.x
Subject(s) - covalent bond , transfer rna , fluorescence , molecule , chemistry , polynucleotide , photochemistry , rna , biochemistry , organic chemistry , gene , physics , quantum mechanics
Optical spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy have been used to investigate the non‐covalent and covalent binding of 8‐azidoethidium (8‐azido‐3‐amino‐5‐ethyl‐6‐phe‐nyl‐phenanthridium) with transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules. The nuclear magnetic resonance measurements demonstrate that ethidium and ethidium monoazide bind to the same unique binding site on tRNA molecules. However, the optical studies demonstrate that the photochemical reaction between ethidium monoazide and tRNA generates at least three different photoproducts. One of the covalent photoproducts has fluorescence properties which mimic those of intercalated, non‐covalently bound ethidium, but it is produced only in about 10% yield. The major photoproduct(s) is(are) virtually non‐fluorescent. The ethidium monoazide photochemistry with tRNA molecules is obviously complex and this may complicate its use as a photolabel of polynucleotides.