Methyl green: A DNA major-groove binding drug

• Published in: FEBS letters Vol. 315; no. 1; pp. 61 - 64
• Main Authors: Kim, Seog K., Nordén, Bengt
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 02-01-1993; Elsevier
• Subjects: Binding Sites; Biological and medical sciences; Circular Dichroism; DNA; DNA - chemistry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hydrogen Bonding; Interactions. Associations; Intermolecular phenomena; Linear dichroism; Major groove binding; Methyl green; Methyl Green - chemistry; Molecular biophysics; Nucleic Acid Conformation; poly(dA) · 2poly(dT); poly(dA) · poly(dT); poly(da).2poly(dt); poly(da).poly(dt); poly(dg-dc); Spectrum Analysis; Triplex; Linear dichroism; DNA; Major groove binding; poly(dA) · poly(dT); Methyl green; Triplex; poly(dA) · 2poly(dT); Dichroism; Molecular interaction; Intercalating agent; Polynucleotide
• ISSN: 0014-5793; 1873-3468; 1873-3468
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-5793(93)81133-K

Interaction and binding geometries of complexes of Methyl green with poly(dA-dT)
2, poly(dA) · poly(dT), and triplex poly(dA) · 2poly(dT) complexes have been studied by linear dichroism. For both of the complexes with double helical DNAs, the
z symmetry axis of Methyl green is found to be approximately parallel to the DNA bases while the
x symmetry axis lies at 40–44° relative to the local DNA helix axis, in agreement with a groove binding mode. However, in contrast to minor-groove binders (such as DAPI and Hoechst 33258) Methyl green is found to be excluded from binding to the triple helical poly(dA) · 2poly(dT) in which the major groove is filled by the third strand. While most so far studied groove-binding dyes bind in the minor groove of DNA, Methyl green thus appears to be an exception.