Fluorescence properties of quinacrine enantiomers complexed with synthetic double-stranded polyribonucleotides.

The interaction of quinacrine (QAC) enantiomers with poly(A).poly(U) and poly(I).poly(C) has been studied by fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescence and fluorescence-excitation spectra of QAC enantiomers complexed with the polyribonucleotides showed a marked dependence on the excitation and emission wavelengths. This behavior of the bound QAC enantiomers was almost independent of the chirality of the cationic side chain and was very similar to that of the bound racemic QAC.