ENERGY-TRANSFER FROM A LUMAZINE (= PTERIDINE-2,4(1H,3H)-DIONE) CHROMOPHORE TO BATHOPHENANTHROLINE-RUTHENIUM(II) COMPLEXES DURING HYBRIDIZATION PROCESSES OF DNA

We incorporated 6,7-dimethyllumazine chromophores and a [Ru(II)(bathophenanthroline)] complex into different oligodeoxynucleotides, the former via the corresponding phosphoramidites of the 2'-deoxynucleosides and the latter specifically by the phosphonate approach at the 5'-end of synthetic oligonucleotides, directly in the course of their synthesis on solid support. Efficiency measurements of this energy-transfer system with the lumazine as energy donor and the Ru complex as energy acceptor allowed us to distinguish between the hybridized and the non-hybridized state of oligonucleotides. Thus, the approach should be of value in DNA probe technology for the detection of single-stranded DNA targets.