title: Fluorescence spectral characteristics of novel asymmetric monomethine cyanine dyes in nucleic acid solutions.
abstract: Six new asymmetric monomethine cyanine dyes have been synthesized and their fluorescence characteristics in the presence of nucleic acids studied. The new dyes have no fluorescence of their own in water solutions upon excitation at 480 nm but they become strongly fluorescent in the presence of nucleic acids. The fluorescence maxima of the investigated dyes are found at 525-545 nm when bound to dsDNA and around 600 nm upon binding to RNA and ssDNA. Fluorescence quenching studies with increasing concentrations of NaCl indicate that the cyanine dyes have a mixed (intercalating and groove binding) type of interaction with dsDNA.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Organic Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia.
authors.forename: I I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Timcheva
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Maximova
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Deligeorgiev
authors.forename: N I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Gadjev
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Sabnis
authors.forename: I G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Ivanov
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D007364:Intercalating Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007364:Intercalating Agents; D012996:Solutions; D013844:Thiazoles; D004247:DNA