[DNA-cholesterol complex studied by fluorescent probes]

DNA interaction with cholesterol at various lipid concentrations has been investigated by the fluorescent probes method. It has been shown that the intensity of acridine orange fluorescence in the DNA-cholesterol complex decreases at 24 micrograms/ml cholesterol and at 45 micrograms/ml it increases. The number of binding sites and the degree of polarization of fluorescence change simultaneously. Binary mechanism of cholesterol binding with DNA has been suggested: surface binding takes place at low concentrations, intercalation--at high lipid concentrations.