Interaction of 4'-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole 2HCl with synthetic and natural deoxy- and ribonucleic acids.

The interaction of 4'-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole · 2 HCl with natural and synthetic polydeoxy- and polyribonucleotides of different base content and sequences was studied with circular dichroism, ultracentrifugation, viscosity and calorimetry. All the polymers show two types of binding. The strength of interaction and its resistence to ionic strength are related to the content of AT clusters in the chain. On the other hand, sedimentation measurements rule out an intercalation mechanism. A model of 4'-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole · 2 HCl interaction with DNA and double stranded RNA, similar to that displayed by distamycin and netropsin, is proposed.