Application of a Highly Robust and Efficient Fluorescence‐Resonance‐Energy‐Transfer (FRET) System in DNA

Abstract

Abstract We report a feasibility study for the application of our newly developed highly efficient and robust fluorescence‐resonance‐energy‐transfer (FRET) system to DNA. A 2′‐oligodeoxynucleotide, 12 , equipped with a quinolinone derivative as donor and a (bathophenanthroline)ruthenium(II) complex as acceptor and having a single uridine as potential cleavage site under basic conditions revealed an intensive FRET, which almost vanished after cleavage of the oligonucleotide under basic conditions ( Fig. 7 ). Furthermore, in the arrangement of a molecular beacon (MB) DNA (see 13 ), a significant decrease of the FRET was observed after hybridization to a target sequence ( Fig. 9 ). Due to the long decay times of the fluorescence of the Ru‐complex, the system allows for highly sensitive time‐gated measurements.