Some new properties of DNA-YOYO-3 homodimer complexes revealed by electrophoresis and fluorescence lifetime measurements.

The DNA bis-intercalator oxazole homodimer (YOYO-3: 1,1'-(4,4,7,7-tetramethyl-4,7-diazaundecamethylene)-bis-4-[3-methy l- 2,3-dihydro-(benzo-1,3-oxazole)-2-methylidene]-quinolinium tetraiodide) specifically alters the electrophoretic pattern of covalently closed circular (CCC) DNA molecules. Thus, YOYO-3 seems to remove the CCC DNA supercoils and induces the appearance of additional bands by changing the linking number. It also promotes an unusual "star" activity for the restriction enzyme Hind III. Fluorescence lifetime measurements indicate that YOYO-3 is capable of binding to DNA by bis- and mono-intercalation.