Raman study of the effects of polyamines on DNA : spermine and histamine

Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the interactio n of spermine and histamine with calf-thymus DNA. Polyamine-DNA solutions a t different polyamine concentrations ranging from 5 mM to 75 mM were prepar ed. For spermine, solutions no higher than 15 mM were prepared because this molecule induces condensation and aggregation on DNA at upper concentratio ns. Possible sites of bindings for polyamine-DNA complexes were discussed o n the basis of the spectral changes observed with respect to the Raman spec tra of DNA. The results seem to indicate that one spermine molecule induces on DNA a similar effect to two or more histamine molecules. (C) 1999 Elsev ier Science B.V. All rights reserved.