Cooperativity in the binding of the cationic biocide polyhexamethylene biguanide to nucleic acids

Allen, Michael J., Morby, Andrew P. and White, Graham F. 2004. Cooperativity in the binding of the cationic biocide polyhexamethylene biguanide to nucleic acids. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 318 (2) , pp. 397-404. 10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.04.043

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Abstract

The interaction between the broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent, polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB), and various nucleic acids was investigated. Titration of either single- or double-stranded 100-bp DNA, or mixed-molecular weight marker DNA, or tRNA with PHMB caused precipitation of a complex between nucleic acid and PHMB in which the nucleotide/biguanide ratio was always close to unity. Binding of PHMB was highly cooperative, with apparent Hill coefficients 10.3–14.6. When a fluorescent derivative of PHMB was titrated with increasing amounts of nucleic acid, all four forms of nucleic acid caused strong polarisation of fluorescence, demonstrating the association with PHMB. The intensity and broad-spectrum binding of PHMB to all forms of nucleic acid has significant implications for the mechanism of action of this biocide.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Biosciences
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0006-291X
Last Modified:	04 Jun 2017 06:37
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/62878

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