No abstract

Ultraviolet-visible, emission and circular dichroism spectroscopic methods were used in transfer RNA (tRNA) interaction studies performed for polyethyleneimine-copper(II) complexes [Cu(phen)(l-Tyr)BPEI]ClO (where phen =1,10-phenanthroline, l-Tyr = l-tyrosine and BPEI = branched polyethyleneimine) with various degrees of coordination (x = 0.059, 0.149, 0.182) in the polymer chain. The results indicated that polyethyleneimine-copper(II) complexes bind with tRNA mostly through surface binding, although other binding modes, such as hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions, might also be present. Dye-exclusion, sulforhodamine B and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assays of a polyethyleneimine-copper(II) complex with a higher degree of coordination against different cancer cell lines proved that the complex exhibited cytotoxic specificity and a significant cancer cell inhibition rate. Antimicrobial screening showed activity against some human pathogens.