31P NMR studies of the binding of the oligonucleotide (Ap)3A to an oligodeoxythymidylate covalently linked to an acridine derivative

31P NMR was used to study the specific interaction of an oligodeoxynucleotide containing four thymines and covalently attached to an acridine derivative through its 3'-phosphate [(Tp)4(CH2)5Acr] with a complementary oligoribonucleotide (Ap)3A. 31P-1H and 1H-1H chemical shift correlation spectroscopies were jointly used to provide the assignment of the phosphorus resonances. A downfield shift of two phosphorus resonances of (Tp)4(CH2)5Acr and of two phosphorus resonances of (Ap)3A was observed upon complex formation. The assignment of the phosphorus resonances which are downfield shifted allowed us to propose a model involving an equilibrium between several 1:1 complexes where the acridine ring is intercalated between different A.T base pairs.