• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.312.2-312.2
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• 2002

The metal-ligand complex, ［Ru(phen)$_2$(dppz)]^{2＋}$ (phen = 1.10-phenanthroline, dppz = dipyrido［3.2-a:2', 3'-c］phenazine) (RuPD), was used as a spectroscopic probe for studying nucleic acid dynamics. The RuPD complex displays a long lifetime and a molecular light switch property upon DNA binding due to shielding of its dppz ligand from water. (omitted)

• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.551-558
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• 2001

We extended the measurable time scale of DNA dynamics to submicrosecond using a long-lifetime metal-ligand complex, $[Ru(phen)_2(dppz)]^{2+}$ (phen=1,10-phenanthroline, dppz=dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine) (RuPD), which displays a mean lifetime near 350 ns. We partially characterized the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) in calf thymus DNA from RuPD to nile blue (NB) using frequency-domain fluorometry with a high-intensity, blue light-emitting diode (LED) as the modulated light source. There was a significant overlap of the emission spectrum of the donor RuPD with the absorption spectrum of the acceptor NB. The F$\ddot{o}$rster distance ($R_0$) that was calculated from the spectral overlap was $33.4\;{\AA}$. We observed dramatic decreases in the steady-state fluorescence intensities of RuPD when the NB concentration was increased. The intensity decays of RuPD were matched the closest by a triple exponential decay. The mean decay time of RuPD in the absence of the acceptor NB was 350.7 ns. In a concentration-dependent manner, RuPD showed rapid intensity decay times upon adding NB. The mean decay time decreased to 184.6 ns at $100\;{\mu}M$ NB. The FRET efficiency values that are calculated from the mean decay times increased from 0.107 at $20\;{\mu}M$ NB to 0.474 at $100\;{\mu}M$ NB concentration. The use of FRET with a long-lifetime metal-ligand complex donor is expected to offer the opportunity to increase the information about the structure and dynamics of nucleic acids.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.155-159
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• 2000

[Ru(bpy)$_2$(dppz)]$^2$$^{+}$ (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, dppz = dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine)(RuBD), a long-lifetime metal-ligand complex displays photophysical properties including long lifetime, polarized emission, and very little background fluorescence. To further show the usefulness of this luminophore(RuBD) for probing nucleic acid dynamics, its intensity and anisotropy decays when bound to tRN $A^{val}$ were examined using frequency-domain fluorometry with a blue light-emitting diode(LED)as the modulated light source. Unexpectedly much longer mean lifetime was obtained at 4$^{\circ}C$(<$\tau$>=178.3 ns) as compared to at $25^{\circ}C$(<$\tau$>=117.0 ns), suggesting more favorable conformation of tRN $A^{val}$ for RuBD when intercalated at 4$^{\circ}C$. The anisotropy decay data showed longer rotational correlation times at 4$^{\circ}C$(52.7 and 13.0 ns) than at $25^{\circ}C$ (32.9 and 10.3 ns). The presence of two rotational correlation times suggests that RuBD reveals both local and overall rotational motion of tRN $A^{val}$. Due to long lifetime of RuBD and small size of tRN $A^{val}$, very low steady-state anisotropy values were observed, 0.048 and 0.036 at 4 and $25^{\circ}C$, respectively. However, a clear difference in the modulated anisotropy values was seen between 4 and $25^{\circ}C$. These results indicate that RuBD can be useful for studying hydrodynamics of small nucleic acids such as tRN $A^{val}$.^{val}$.>.$.>.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2004

[Ru(2,2'-bipyridine)$_2$(4,4'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine)]$^{2+}$(RuBDc) is a very photostable probe that possesses favorable photophysical properties including long lifetime, high quantum yield, large Stokes' shift, and highly polarized emission. To evaluate the usefulness of this luminophore (RuBDc) for studying macromolecular dynamics, its intensity and anisotropy decays when conjugated to RNA bacteriophage MS2 were examined using frequency-domain fluorometry with a high-intensity, blue light-emitting diode (LED) as the modulated light source. The intensity decays were best fit by a sum of two exponentials, and the mean intensity decay time was 442.2 ns. The anisotropy decay data showed a single rotational correlation time (2334.9 ns), which is typical for a spherical molecule. The use of RuBDc enabled us to measure the rotational correlation time up to several microseconds. These results indicate that RuBDc can be useful for studying rotational diffusion of biological macromolecules.s.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.133-139
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• 2004

The metal-ligand complex, $[Ru(phen)_2(dppz)]^{2+}$ (phen=1,10-phenanthroline, dppz=dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine) (RuPD), was used as a spectroscopic probe for studying nucleic acid dynamics. The RuPD complex displays a long lifetime and a molecular light switch property upon DNA binding due to shielding of its dppz ligand from water. To show the usefulness of this luminophore (RuPD) for probing nucleic acid dynamics, we compared its intensity and anisotropy decays when intercalated into the $tRNA^{val}$ and pBluescript (pBS) II SK(+) phagemid through a comparison with ethidium bromide (EB), a conventional nucleic acid probe. We used frequency-domain fluorometry with a blue light-emitting diode (LED) as the modulated light source. The mean lifetime for the $tRNA^{val}$ (<${\tau}$> = 166.5 ns) was much shorter than that for the pBS II SK(+) phagemid (<${\tau}$> = 481.3 ns), suggesting a much more efficient shielding from water by the phagemid. Because of their size difference, the anisotropy decay data showed a much shorter rotational correlation times for the $tRNA^{val}$ (99.9 and 23.6 ns) than for the pBS II SK(+) phagemid (968.7 and 39.5 ns). These results indicate that RuPD can be useful for studying nucleic acid dynamics.

• BMB Reports
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.389-394
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• 2002

$[Ru(bpy)_2(dppz)]^2+$ (bpy=2,2'-bipyfidine, dppz=dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine) (RuBD), a long-lifetime metal-ligand complex, displays favorable photophysical properties. These include long lifetime, polarized emission, but no significant fluorescence from the complex that is not bound to DNA. To show the usefulness of this luminophore (RuBD) for probing the bending and torsional dynamics of nucleic acids, its intensity and anisotropy decays when intercalated into supercoiled and relaxed pTZ18U plasmids were examined using frequency-domain fluorometry with a blue light-emitting diode (LED) as the modulated light source. The mean lifetimes for the supercoiled plasmids (< $\tau$ >=148 ns) were somewhat shorter than those for the relaxed plasmids (< $\tau$ >=160 ns). This suggests that the relaxed plasmids were shielded more efficiently from water. The anisotropy decay data also showed somewhat shorter slow rotational correlation times for supercoiled plasmids (288 ns) than for the relaxed plasmids (355 ns). The presence of two rotational correlation times suggests that RuBD reveals both the bending and torsional motions of the plasmids. These results indicate that RuBD can be useful for studying both the bending and torsional dynamics of mucleic acids.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.143-150
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• 2002

Fluorescent probes bound to DNA typically display nanosecond decay times and reveal only nanosecond motions. We extend the time range of measurable DNA dynamics using $[Ru(pby)_2(dppz)]^{2+}$ (bpy=2.2'-bipyridine, dppz=dipyrido[3,2-a2',3'-c]phenazine) (RuBD) which displays a mean lifetime near 90 ns. To test the usefulness of RuBD as a probe for diffusive processes in calf thymus DNA, we compared the efficiencies of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) using three donors which display lifetimes near 5 ns for acridine orange (AO), 22 ns for ethidum bromide (EB) and 92 ns for RuBD, with nile blue (NB) as the acceptor. The F rster distances for AO-NB, EB-NB and RuBD-NB donor-acceptor pairs were 42.3, 52.3, and $30.6{\;}{\AA}$, respectively. All three donors showed dramatic decreases in fluorescence intensities and more rapid intensity decays with increasing NB concentrations. The intensity decays of AO and EB in the presence of varying concentrations of NB were satisfactorily described by the one-dimensional FRET model without diffusion (Blumen and Manz, 1979). In the case of the long-lifetime donor RuBD, the experimental phase and modulation somewhat deviated from the recovered values computed from this model. The recovered NB concentrations and FRET efficiencies from the model were slightly larger than the expected values, however, the recovered and expected values did not show a significant difference. Thus, it is suggested that the lifetime of RuBD is too short to measure diffusive processes in calf thymus DNA.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.104-110
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• 2005

We extended the measurable time scale of DNA dynamics to microsecond using $[Ru(phen)_2(dppz)]^{2+}$ (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, dppz = dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine) (RuPD), which displays a mean lifetime near 500 ns. To evaluate the usefulness of this luminophore (RuPD) for probing nucleic acid dynamics, its intensity and anisotropy decays when intercalated into supercoiled and linear pBluescript (pBS) II SK(+) phagemids were examined using frequency-domain fluorometry with a blue light-emitting diode (LED) as the modulated light source. The mean lifetime for the supercoiled phagemids (< $\tau$ > = 489.7 ns) was somewhat shorter than that for the linear phagemids (< $\tau$ > = 506.4 ns), suggesting a more efficient shielding from water by the linear phagemids. The anisotropy decay data also showed somewhat shorter slow rotational correlation times for supercoiled phagemids (997.2 ns) than for the linear phagemids (1175.6 ns). The slow and fast rotational correlation times appear to be consistent with the bending and torsional motions of the phagemids, respectively. These results indicate that RuPD can have applications in studies of both bending and torsional dynamics of nucleic acids.