5 '-bis-pyrenylated oligonucleotides display enhanced excimer fluorescenceupon hybridization with DNA and RNA

A simple one-step procedure was applied for synthesis of oligonucleotide co njugates bearing two pyrene residues at the 5'-phosphate of oligonucleotide . Excimer fluorescence intensity of the conjugates is highly sensitive to d uplex formation: binding of the bis-pyrenylated oligonucleotides to their D NA and RNA targets leads 10-fold increase of fluorescence. The data show th at excimer fluorescence intensity of the conjugates depends linearly on the concentration of target DNA and permits quantification of DNA in solution.