Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 26, 2026
Synthesis of Wavelength-shifting DNA Hybridization Probes by Using Photostable Cyanine Dyes
Published on: July 6, 2016
Luminescent cyclometalated platinum(II) complex forms emissive intercalating adducts with double-stranded DNA and
Taotao Zou1, Jia Liu, Ching Tung Lum
1State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, Institute of Molecular Functional Materials, Chemical Biology Centre and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (China).
Abstract:
Luminescent metallo-intercalators are potent biosensors of nucleic acid structure and anticancer agents targeting DNAs. There are few examples of luminescent metallo-intercalators which can simultaneously act as emission probes of nucleic acid structure and display promising anticancer activities. Herein, we describe a luminescent platinum(II) complex, [Pt(C^N^N)(C≡NtBu)]ClO4 (1 a, HC^N^N= 6-phenyl-2,2'-bipyridyl), that intercalates between the nucleobases of nucleic acids, accompanied by an increase in emission intensity and/or a significant change in the maximum emission wavelength. The changes in emission properties measured with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) are different from those with dsDNA used in the binding reactions. Complex 1 a exhibited potent anticancer activity towards cancer cells in vitro and inhibited tumor growth in a mouse model. The stabilization of the topoisomerase I-DNA complex with resulting DNA damage by 1 a is suggested to contribute to its anticancer activity.
