[Novel reagent for labeling of biomolecules--activated derivative of pyrene dichromophore with excimeric...

N-[2-(1-pyrenyl)ethyl]-1-pyrenylacetamide, bis[2-(1-pyrenyl)ethyl]amine, and N,N-bis[2-(1-pyrenyl)ethyl]succinamide were synthesized from 1-pyrenylacetic acid. These compounds contain adjacent pyrene residues and display excimer fluorescence. The latter compound, as a pentafluorophenyl ester, was used to prepare fluorescently labeled oligodeoxyribonucleotide (5)CAGGAAACAGCTATGAC. For N,N-bis[2-(1-pyrenyl)ethyl]succinamide, the excimer-to-monomer fluorescence ratio and intensity of fluorescence in water-methanol solutions changed in the presence of single-stranded and double-stranded oligonucleotides, upon attachment to an oligonucleotide, and upon hybridization of the resulting conjugate with the complementary nucleotide sequence.