Calculating the contribution of different binding modes to Quinacrine - DNA complex formation from polarized fluorescence data

Biophysical Bulletin (Ukraine) 27(2) (2011) 31-39 Binding of acridine derivative quinacrine (QA) to chicken erythrocyte DNA was studied by methods of absorption and polarized fluorescent spectroscopy. Measurements were carried out in aqueous buffered solutions (pH 6.9) of different dye concentrations (QA concentration range from $10^{-6}$ till $10^{-4}$ M) and ionic strengths ($Na^{+}$ concentration rang from $10^{-3}$ till 0.15 M) in a wide range of phosphate-to-dye molar ratios ($P/D$). It is established that the minimum of fluorescent titration curve plotted as relative fluorescence intensity $vs$ $P/D$ is conditioned by the competition between the two types of QA binding to DNA which posses by different emission parameters: (i) intercalative one dominating under high $P/D$ values, and (ii) outside electrostatic binding dominating under low $P/D$ values, which is accompanied by the formation of non-fluorescent dye associates on the DNA backbone. Absorption and fluorescent characteristics of complexes formed were determined. The method of calculation of different binding modes contribution to the complex formation depending on $P/D$ value is presented. It was shown that the size of binding site measured as the number of DNA base pairs per one QA molecule bound in the case of the electrostatic interaction is 8 times less than that for the intercalative one that determines the competitive ability of the outside binding against the stronger intercalative binding mode.