Fluorescent DNA Probes: Study of Mechanisms of Changes in Spectral Properties and Features of Practical Application

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V. S. Sibirtsev

Mendeleyev Russian Research Institute for Metrology, Moskovsky pr. 19, 190005 St. Petersburg, Russia; E-mail: vs1969r@mail.ru

Received November 30, 2006; Revision received April 19, 2007

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Spectral data and nucleic acid complex formation properties for more than 30 both newly synthesized and widely used fluorescent nucleotide-specific compounds of various classes have been analyzed. These include phenylbenzene, bisbenzimidazole, psoralen, angelicin, tetrahydrocarbazole, oxophenoxazine, and others. The main rules of a generalized model adequately explaining changes in fluorescent properties of synthetic, low molecular weight nucleotide-specific dyes depending on their chemical structure, mode of interaction with substrate, properties of assay medium, etc. are proposed. Fluorescent nucleotide-specific dyes have been originally used in newly developed methods for: express evaluation of “generalized microbial dissemination” of liquid media; evaluation of possible genotoxic effects of various foodstuffs, pharmaceutical drugs, hazardous environmental factors (including their combined effects on living organisms), etc.

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KEY WORDS: DNA analysis, DNA fluorophores, spectral analysis, biotesting

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297907080111

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