PSORALEN-CONTAINING VINYL MONOMER FOR CONJUGATION OF DOUBLE-HELICAL DNA WITH VINYL-POLYMERS

We have synthesized a vinyl monomer having a psoralen moiety, which ca n form a photoadduct with double-helical DNA. The monomer 1 was proved to have an ability to crosslink DNA double strands through a photoche mical reaction when irradiated by UV light. The resulting DNA having v inyl groups was copolymerized with a comonomer such as acrylamide and N-isopropylacrylamide to give rise to a DNA-vinyl polymer conjugate. A conjugation based on covalent bondings was verified by using gel elec trophoresis; the conjugation efficiency was found to be dependent upon concentration of the monomer which had been used in the antecedent ph otochemical reaction. This monomer will be a useful tool when anchorin g double-helical DNA on polymeric materials for separating and sensing DNA-binding substances.