Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 17, 2026

The Lambda Select cII Mutation Detection System
07:08

The Lambda Select cII Mutation Detection System

Published on: April 26, 2018

Study on the genotoxic interaction of methyl violet with calf thymus DNA

Zhenxing Chi1, Rutao Liu, Xingchen Zhao

  • 1School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, 27# Shanda South Road, Jinan 250100, PR China.

Applied Spectroscopy
|December 25, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Methyl violet (MV) interacts with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) through intercalation at low concentrations and electrostatic binding at higher concentrations. This genotoxic interaction causes DNA aggregation and conformational changes, demonstrating a dose-response relationship.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Toxicology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Methyl violet (MV) is a dye with known toxicological properties.
  • Understanding its interaction with DNA is crucial for assessing genotoxicity.
  • Calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) serves as a model for studying DNA-drug interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular-level toxic interaction between methyl violet and calf thymus DNA.
  • To elucidate the binding modes and quantify the binding affinity of MV to ctDNA.
  • To determine the conditions favoring the genotoxic interaction between MV and ctDNA.

Main Methods:

  • Ultraviolet (UV)-visible absorption spectroscopy
  • Circular dichroism (CD)
  • Resonance light scattering (RLS)
  • Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)

Main Results:

  • MV intercalates into ctDNA base pairs at low concentrations and binds electrostatically to phosphate groups at higher concentrations.
  • The binding constant was determined to be 1.80 x 10(3) L mol(-1), indicating electrostatic binding.
  • Strong toxic interaction occurred at 4.0 x 10(-5) mol L(-1) MV and pH 6.5, leading to DNA aggregation and conformational changes.

Conclusions:

  • The genotoxic interaction between MV and ctDNA is primarily electrostatic.
  • MV binding induces significant DNA aggregation and conformational alterations.
  • A clear linear dose-response relationship exists for the toxic interaction of MV with ctDNA.

More Related Videos

Continuous Fluorescence-Based Endonuclease-Coupled DNA Methylation Assay to Screen for DNA Methyltransferase Inhibitors06:07

Continuous Fluorescence-Based Endonuclease-Coupled DNA Methylation Assay to Screen for DNA Methyltransferase Inhibitors

Published on: August 5, 2022

Formation of Covalent DNA Adducts by Enzymatically Activated Carcinogens and Drugs In Vitro and Their Determination by 32P-postlabeling09:33

Formation of Covalent DNA Adducts by Enzymatically Activated Carcinogens and Drugs In Vitro and Their Determination by 32P-postlabeling

Published on: March 20, 2018

Related Concept Videos

In vitro Mutagenesis01:16

In vitro Mutagenesis

To learn more about the function of a gene, researchers can observe what happens when the gene is inactivated or “knocked out,” by creating genetically engineered knockout animals. Knockout mice have been particularly useful as models for human diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes.
In-vitro Mutagenesis01:16

In-vitro Mutagenesis

To learn more about the function of a gene, researchers can observe what happens when the gene is inactivated or “knocked out,” by creating genetically engineered knockout animals. Knockout mice have been particularly useful as models for human diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes.
Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity01:25

Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity

Mutagenicity and carcinogenicity refer to the ability of drugs to cause genetic defects and induce cancer, respectively. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies agents into four groups based on their carcinogenic potential. Group 1 agents are known human carcinogens; group 2A agents are probably carcinogenic to humans; group 3 agents lack data to support their role in carcinogenesis; and group 4 includes agents for which data support that they are not likely to be...