Enhancement of DNA-mediated Energy Transfer from Ethidium to meso-Tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin by Ca²⁺ Ion

The fluorescence intensity of DNA-intercalated ethidium with [ethidium]/[DNA base] being 0.005 was quenched upon the binding of another intercalating ligand, meso-tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin (TMPyP). Addition of $Ca^{2+}$ enhanced the quenching efficiency. The range of separations between donor and acceptor molecules, within which total quenching occurs, was calculated using a one-dimensional resonance energy transfer mechanism to be 9.5 base-pairs or $32.3{\AA}$ in the absence of $Ca^{2+}$ ions. The distance increased to 18.7 base-pairs or about $63.6{\AA}$ in the presence $100{\mu}M$ $Ca^{2+}$. Considering that (1) $Ca^{2+}$ had little effect on the binding modes of ethidium and TMPyP, which was investigated by reduced linear dichroism and (2) spectral overlap between the emission spectrum of ethidium and the absorption spectrum of TMPyP was maintained in the presence of $Ca^{2+}$, contributions from orientation factor and spectral overlap to $Ca^{2+}$-induced enhancement in DNA mediated energy transfer was limited. Although there is no direct evidence, electron transfer along the DNA stem may accompany the observed fluorescence quenching. In this respect, DNA bound $Ca^{2+}$ act as a partially conducting medium.