Cooperative interactions in the binding of ethidium ion to the self-complementary ribodinucleoside monophosphates CpG and GpC

Complexes exhibiting the characteristics of cooperative interactions are formed by ethidium ion and the self-complementary dinucleoside monophosphates CpG and GpC. Complex formation, observed with an ethidium ion selective electrode, can be described by an equilibrium binding model in which complexes are formed with dinucleoside:ethidium combining ratios of 2:1, 2:2, and 2:3. The total amount of ethidium bound in 2:2 and 2:3 complexes, as calculated from the model, is proportional to a circular dichroism band in CpG-ethidium spectra near 305 nm. Van't Hoff analysis of the model equilibrium constants reveals that the addition of ethidium ion to the 2:1 and 2:2 species is exothermic and that the corresponding entropy changes are large and negative. Cooperative interactions in the binding of ethidium ion and of other ligands to some natural and synthetic polymeric nucleic acids have now been observed in several laboratories, but the present work shows that the effect can arise even with nucleic acid fragments as small as dinucleosides. Apparently, a macromolecular nucleic acid is not essential for cooperative interactions.