title: Photosensitive surfactants with various hydrophobic tail lengths for the photocontrol of genomic DNA conformation with improved efficiency.
abstract: We report the synthesis and characterisation of photosensitive cationic surfactants with various hydrophobic tail lengths. These molecules, called AzoCx, are used as photosensitive nucleic acid binders (pNABs) and are applied to the photocontrol of DNA conformation. All these molecules induce DNA compaction in a photodependent way, originating in the photodependent polarity of their hydrophobic tails. We show that increasing hydrophobicity strongly enhances the compaction efficiencies of these molecules, but reduces the possibility of reversible photocontrol of a DNA conformation. Optimal performance was achieved with AzoC5, which allowed reversible control of DNA conformation with light at a concentration seven times smaller than previously reported.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Ecole Normale Superieure, 24 rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diguet
authors.forename: Naresh Kumar
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Mani
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geoffroy
authors.forename: Matthieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sollogoub
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baigl
mesh_terms: D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D016678:Genome / Q000528:radiation effects; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001391:Azo Compounds; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D004247:DNA