Molecular associations of flavins with betacarbolines and related indoles

The interactions of a set of structurally selected betacarbolines (BC), (9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indoles) and indoles (IND) with two representative flavins (FN): riboflavin (RFN) and flavin mononucleotide (FMN) have been investigated by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies. Spectral results provided evidence on the formation of 1:1 non-fluorescent molecular complexes, whose stability constants and other related thermodynamic parameters have been estimated from Stern-Volmer quenching analysis. The FMN complexes are somewhat more stable than the RFN complexes. The stabilities of the IND and BC complexes for a given FN follow approximately the order IND approximately tetrahydro BC < dehydro BC < fully aromatic BC. Protonation of the pyridinic nitrogen atom of BCs has a destabilizing effect, which is more pronounced for fully aromatic than for tetrahydro derivatives. The influence of structural factors on the stability of the complexes has been discussed and, aided by theoretical AM1 calculations, a qualitative model for the structure (stacking) and binding forces (cooperative localized charge transfer and dispersion forces) of the complexes has been proposed.