Elucidation of the binding properties of a photosensitizer to salmon sperm DNA and its photobleaching processes by spectroscopic methods.

Methylene blue (MB) is a tricyclic heteroaromatic photosensitizer with a promising application in the photodynamic therapy (PDT) for anticancer treatment. The binding properties of MB to salmon sperm DNA have been investigated by the measurements of absorption spectra, quenching experiments and the photobleaching processes. Remarkable hypochromic and bathochromic effects of MB in the presence of increasing amounts of DNA have been observed in the absorption spectra. The quenching of MB by the DNA bases obeys the Stern-Volmer equation and ferrocyanide quenching of MB in the absence and presence of DNA is also measured as extended experiments. Results from the above spectral measurements are all consistent with the intercalative binding mode of MB to DNA with the K b value of 5.6 × 10(3) M(-1). The photobleaching processes of MB and its DNA complex have also been studied, which indicate that the photobleaching of MB and its DNA complex proceed with different mechanisms and the reactive oxygen species are responsible for the self-sensitized photooxidation of MB.