Effect of solution environment on the binding properties of ruthenium(II) complexes [Ru(bim)2(7-CH3-dppz)]2+ and [Ru(bim)2(dppx)]2+ with double-stranded RNA poly(A)·poly(U)

Two new ruthenium(Ⅱ) complexes containing the same ancillary ligands and different intercalating ligands, [Ru(bim)₂(7-CH₃-dppz)]²⁺ (Ru1, bim = 2,2′-biimidazole, 7-CH₃-dppz = 7-methyl-dipyrido-[3,2-a,2′,3′-c]-phenazine) and [Ru(bim)₂(dppx)]²⁺ (Ru2, dppx = 7,8-dimethyldipyridophenazine), have been synthesized and characterized in this work, and the interactions of Ru1 and Ru2 with double-stranded RNA poly(A)·poly(U) have been comparatively studied under both dilute and molecular crowding conditions. Analysis of spectral titrations and viscosity experiments as well as thermal denaturation experiments suggests that although complexes Ru1 and Ru2 in both dilute and molecular crowding solutions bind to poly(A)·poly(U) via intercalation, while the binding and stabilizing effects of the two complexes toward poly(A)·poly(U) under molecular crowding conditions significantly decreases in comparision with those in dilute solutions, suggesting that molecular crowding has a significant weakening effect on the interaction of the two complexes with poly(A)-poly(U). The results obtained will contribute to the understanding of the effects of molecular crowding conditions on the binding and stabilization of double-stranded RNA by metal complexes, in particular Ru(II) complexes.