Platinum binds selectively to phosphorothioate groups in mono- and polynucleotides: a general method for heavy metal staining of specific nucleotides.

Platinum binding to nucleoside phosphorothioates has been examined to determine their suitability as heavy metal labeling sites for the potential electron microscopic sequencing of nucleic acids. The complex platinum terpyridine nitrate forms a 1:1 adduct with either adenosine or uridine monophosphorothioate. Spectroscopic evidence strongly indicates the presence of platinum-sulfur bonds. Both platinum terpyridine nitrate and chloroterpyridineplatinum(II) bind to poly(sA-U), a polymer prepared from adenosine 5'-O-(1-thiotriphosphate) and UTP. Binding to the sulfur atoms of the phosphorothioate groups is quantitative, as shown by double label experiments using [35S]poly(sA-U) and [3H]chloroterpyridine-platinum(II). Similar experiments with [14C]poly(A-U) indicated no platinum binding. No evidence of nicking or loss of sulfur from poly(sA-U) could be detected after platinum binding. The phosphorothioate group is a strong, highly selective binding site for platinum in polynucleotides. Previous studies have demonstrated quantitative enzymatic incorporation of phosphorothioate groups into a polynucleotide adjacent to a specific base [Matzura, H. & Eckstein, F. (1968) Eur. J. Biochem. 3, 448-452]. The use of heavy metal-labeled phosphorothioate groups for the sequencing of nucleic acids by electron microscopy therefore appears feasible.