Spectroscopic study one thiosemicarbazone derivative with ctDNA using ethidium bromide as a fluorescence probe

In this study, a thiosemicarbazone derivative (E)-2-((1,4-dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone-2-yl)methylene)-N-(4-fluorophenyl)hydrazinecarbothioamide (DAFPT) was synthesized, and the interaction of DAFPT with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) was explored using ethidium bromide (EB) as a fluorescence probe. The binding mode between DAFPT and ctDNA was investigated by UV absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular docking. The fluorescence quenching mechanism of EB-ctDNA by DAFPT might be a combined quenching type. Thermodynamic parameters showed that the reaction was spontaneous. According to ionic strength, fluorescence polarization and melting temperature (Tm) curve results, DAFPT-ctDNA interaction was groove binding. The molecular modeling results indicated that DAFPT could slide into the A-T rich region of ctDNA.