Study of titanocene-DNA and molybdenocene-DNA interactions by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy

Titanocene and molybdenocene dichlorides belong to a new class of organometallic antitumor agent. Although these complexes are isostructural, they behave differently under physiological conditions and hence have different mechanisms of action. It was initially proposed that these species interact with DNA, inhibiting the cell cycle. Recent studies using nucleotides and oligonucleotides suggest that molybdenocene does not bind DNA constituents at physiological pH whereas titanocene apparently interacts weakly with nucleotides through the phosphoesters. The evidence for this was, however, obtained under non-physiological conditions. Herein we report an analytical method that enables determination of the amount of metal bound to DNA under physiological conditions (pH 7.4 and buffer solution) and with sample preparation (dialysis) that resembles the cell environment. It was found that more than 90% titanium was bound to DNA after 46 h whereas binding of molybdenum was no more than 5%.