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DNA photocleavage activity of cobalt(III) polypyridyl complexes containing dpq ligand
Yi Sun1, Qian-Xiong Zhou, Jing-Rong Chen
1Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, PR China.
Abstract:
Four cobalt(III) polypyridyl complexes, [Co(phen)(3-)(n)(dpq)(n)](3+) (phen=1,10-phenanthroline, dpq=dipyrido[3,2-f:2',3'-h]-quinoxaline) (n=0, 1, 2, and 3) were synthesized and the influences of the dpq ligand on the photophysical properties, electrochemical properties, DNA binding affinities, as well as photonuclease activities of the complexes, were examined in detail. The presence of dpq ligand increases the DNA binding affinities of the corresponding complexes remarkably with respect to [Co(phen)(3)](3+). With the sequential substitution of phen ligand by dpq ligand, the (1)O(2) quantum yields of the corresponding complexes are enhanced greatly. As a result, the photonuclease activities follow the order of [Co(dpq)(3)](3+)>[Co(phen)(dpq)(2)](3+)>[Co(phen)(2)(dpq)](3+)>>[Co(phen)(3)](3+). It was found all the examined complexes can generate ()OH upon UV irradiation, and ()OH is also involved in DNA photocleavage as reactive oxygen species.
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