Chlorobenzylidine-herring sperm DNA interaction: binding mode and thermodynamic studies.

The interaction of chlorobenzylidine with herring sperm DNA has been investigated by fluorescence, absorption, DNA melting experiment and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). When bound to DNA, chlorobenzylidine shows hypochromism and red shift in absorption spectra, fluorescence quenching and polarization increasing in fluorescence spectra and increasing in DNA melting temperature. These spectral characteristics strongly support intercalation of chlorobenzylidine into herring sperm DNA. Scatchard plots constructed from fluorescence titration data give a binding constant of 3.2 x 10(4) M(-1) and a binding site size of six base pairs per bound drug molecule. The intercalative interaction is exothermic with a van't Hoff enthalpy of -30.6 kJ mol(-1). This result is obtained from DSC experiment. In addition, DeltaG degrees =-28.5 kJ mol(-1), and DeltaS degrees =-7.1 J mol(-1) K(-1). These results show that the binding of chlorobenzylidine to herring sperm DNA is exothermic.