Spin-labeled oxazolopyridocarbazole as a probe for studying nonintercalating DNA groove binding ligands.

A spin-label (P-OPC) composed of the nitroxide-containing ring proxyl linked at the C1 position of the intercalating fluorescent chromophore oxazolopyridocarbazole (OPC) has been synthesized. The spin-labeled OPC was found to interact with DNA and polynucleotides according to an external minor groove binding mode with association constant values Kapp ranging from 10(5) to 10(6) M-1. External binding was obvious from the inability of P-OPC to increase the length of sonicated DNA upon binding, the low unwinding angle (9.6 degrees) of circular PM2 DNA, and the low energy transfer from DNA bases to bound chromophore. Binding of P-OPC to DNA or polynucleotide results in a strong immobilization of the proxyl moiety, resulting in the appearance of an asymmetric and broad ESR spectrum with a maximal hyperfine splitting of 56.5 G. In the equilibrium conditions, the occurrence of superimposed ESR spectra related to the P-OPC fraction undergoing rapid motion and to the P-OPC fraction immobilized allows the estimation of the concentrations of free and DNA-bound spin-label. The external mode of binding to DNA as well as the characteristics of the ESR spectra make P-OPC suitable for the determination of DNA binding parameters of nonintercalating ligands using competition experiments. The measurement of the binding constants of distamycin A to poly[d(A-T)] and poly[d(G-C)] is taken as an example.