Structure-spectrophotometric selectivity relationship in interactions of quercetin related flavonoids with double stranded and single stranded RNA

Interactions of five flavonoids with dsRNA and single stranded ssRNA were studied by UV/vis titrations. The results obtained supported the intercalative binding mode as a dominant interaction of studied flavonoids with dsRNA as well as major interaction with ssRNA. Furthermore, changes of the UV/vis spectra of flavonoids induced by addition of poly G or poly C, respectively, are significantly stronger than changes induced by double stranded poly G-poly C, pointing to essential role of the free poly G or poly C sequence (not hydrogen bonded in double helix). Exclusively poly G caused significant batochromic shift of the UV/vis maxima of all studied flavonoids, whereby the intensity of batochromic shift is nicely correlated to the number of OH groups of flavonoid. Unlikely to poly G, addition of poly A and poly U induced measurable changes only in the UV/vis spectra of flavonoids characterised by no OH (galangin) or three OH groups (myricetin) on the phenyl part of the molecule. Consequently, flavonoids with one- or two-OH groups on the phenyl part of the molecule (luteolin, fisetin, kaempferol) specifically differentiate between poly A, poly U (negligible changes in the UV/Vis spectra) and poly G (strong changes in the UV/Vis spectra) as well as poly C (moderate changes in the UV/Vis spectra).