Energy transfer processes at 77K from polyriboadenylic acid to decarboxy-formylkynurenine, a tryptamine photooxidation product

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

The excitation of poly rAdecarboxy-formylkynurenine complexes with 280 nm UV light at 77K results in a very efficient energy transfer at the triplet level from the macromolecule to the small ligand molecule, as evidenced by the quenching of poly rA phosphorescence emission intensity in parallel to the sensitization of the ligand one and by the shortening of the polynucleotide phosphorescence lifetime. The data are consistent with a model implying base inhomogeneities in the poly rA strand acting as triplet traps. The average length of ordered sections is found to be eight monomer units.