[Photomodification of nucleic acids by N-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenazine derivatives of oligonucleotides]

Photomodification of a 302-membered single-stranded DNA fragment by 5'-mono- and 3',5'-di-N-(2-oxyethyl)phenazine (Phn) derivatives of oligonucleotides has been investigated. Under strong laser irradiation (lambda 532 nm; power density 2,5 GV/cm2, irradiation dose 30 J) the DNA fragment in the presence of Phn-reagents was significantly destructed (up to 70-95%). The level of complementary addressed modification (24-51%) is a direct function of the length of oligonucleotide address of the photoreagent and the amount of Phn residues, stabilizing the complementary complex. The character of the nonaddressed modification is close to the statistic one, although for a number of photoreagents a rather efficient nonspecific modification of 5'-terminal sequence of target DNA has been detected. Of interest also is an unusually broad positional direction of the DNA fragment photomodification in the area of perfect complementary coupling of 5'-Phn-reagents.