Ion in the presence of lower metal ion concentration (1, 5 and 10 mM) did not show any major shifting as explained above and resembled as that of DNA-drug complexes in the absence of metal ions.Methylxanthines Binding with DNAFurthermore, the helix-coil transition observed using pH variation method in the presence and absence of drugs as well revealed an increased binding affinity of methylxanthines with DNA. This is supported by the fact that the percentage of hyperchromicity of the free DNA was increased with respect to its state of helix-coil transition (due to slow increase in pH), and intriguingly the percentage of hyperchromicity of free DNA was still more increased to 30?5 upon addition of methylxanthines (P/D: 3 and 6), supporting the enhanced binding activity of methylxanthines during helix-coil transition of DNA (Figs. 8A ). The above findings (Tm/pH melting profiles) suggest the preferential binding of methylxanthines to single stranded DNA rather than to a native double helical.Binding affinity of methylxanthinesInterestingly there is a binding affinity difference with DNA is noticed for these three methylxanthines in the presence of divalent metal ions and with heat or pH melted DNA as compared to that of the native double helical DNA. A prominent increase in the binding efficacy is noticed for theophylline and theobromine than caffeine (Figs. 5, 7 and 8) in the above set up. This suggests that caffeine interacts with double helical DNA (Fig. 2D) by establishing H-bonding interaction from outside to DNA helix and forming aggregation along the sides of DNA polymer [2,3]. However caffeine interaction with the denatured form of DNA (Tm/pH-melted) (DNA structure closer to single strand) or in the presence of divalent metal ions reveals lesser binding activity for caffeine (Figs. 5, 7 and 8). This could be substantiated by the fact that the binding affinity of these xanthine derivatives were enhanced with respect to the degree of exposure 1676428 of DNA bases to give rise more binding sites for drugs. This in turn renders the binding efficacy to increase for each methylxanthines; and at the same time the presence of bulky methyl groups (1,3,7-trimethyl) in 24272870 caffeine (Fig. 1) impede its efficacy and thereby theophylline or theobromine exceeds caffeine in the binding affinity. Thus the steric hindrance offered by methyl groups in methylxanthines are considered to be the rate limiting factors in determining its preferential or increased binding affinity with Tm or pH melted DNA. This observation is very much similar to our earlier reported study of RNA binding efficacy of methylxanthines [15], where theophylline and theobromine are shown to have enhanced binding efficacy than caffeine. This binding affinity difference led these molecules to AZ876 interfere differently in modulating the splicing mechanism of group I intron RNA [25]. As far as the metal ion is considered it reduces the aggregation and induce some structural perturbations in DNA (refer the FTIR analysis above) favor the enhanced binding of methylxanthines that eventually upheave the binding affinity of theophylline and theobromine than caffeine. Hence the order of binding affinity of these methylxanthines with denatured the form of DNA and in the presence of metal ions is visualized as “theophylline theobromine.caffeine”. Moreover it is needed to be clarified that even though the Tm or pH melting directs the native double helical DNA to undergo helix-coil Hexaconazole site transitions, at some ext.Ion in the presence of lower metal ion concentration (1, 5 and 10 mM) did not show any major shifting as explained above and resembled as that of DNA-drug complexes in the absence of metal ions.Methylxanthines Binding with DNAFurthermore, the helix-coil transition observed using pH variation method in the presence and absence of drugs as well revealed an increased binding affinity of methylxanthines with DNA. This is supported by the fact that the percentage of hyperchromicity of the free DNA was increased with respect to its state of helix-coil transition (due to slow increase in pH), and intriguingly the percentage of hyperchromicity of free DNA was still more increased to 30?5 upon addition of methylxanthines (P/D: 3 and 6), supporting the enhanced binding activity of methylxanthines during helix-coil transition of DNA (Figs. 8A ). The above findings (Tm/pH melting profiles) suggest the preferential binding of methylxanthines to single stranded DNA rather than to a native double helical.Binding affinity of methylxanthinesInterestingly there is a binding affinity difference with DNA is noticed for these three methylxanthines in the presence of divalent metal ions and with heat or pH melted DNA as compared to that of the native double helical DNA. A prominent increase in the binding efficacy is noticed for theophylline and theobromine than caffeine (Figs. 5, 7 and 8) in the above set up. This suggests that caffeine interacts with double helical DNA (Fig. 2D) by establishing H-bonding interaction from outside to DNA helix and forming aggregation along the sides of DNA polymer [2,3]. However caffeine interaction with the denatured form of DNA (Tm/pH-melted) (DNA structure closer to single strand) or in the presence of divalent metal ions reveals lesser binding activity for caffeine (Figs. 5, 7 and 8). This could be substantiated by the fact that the binding affinity of these xanthine derivatives were enhanced with respect to the degree of exposure 1676428 of DNA bases to give rise more binding sites for drugs. This in turn renders the binding efficacy to increase for each methylxanthines; and at the same time the presence of bulky methyl groups (1,3,7-trimethyl) in 24272870 caffeine (Fig. 1) impede its efficacy and thereby theophylline or theobromine exceeds caffeine in the binding affinity. Thus the steric hindrance offered by methyl groups in methylxanthines are considered to be the rate limiting factors in determining its preferential or increased binding affinity with Tm or pH melted DNA. This observation is very much similar to our earlier reported study of RNA binding efficacy of methylxanthines [15], where theophylline and theobromine are shown to have enhanced binding efficacy than caffeine. This binding affinity difference led these molecules to interfere differently in modulating the splicing mechanism of group I intron RNA [25]. As far as the metal ion is considered it reduces the aggregation and induce some structural perturbations in DNA (refer the FTIR analysis above) favor the enhanced binding of methylxanthines that eventually upheave the binding affinity of theophylline and theobromine than caffeine. Hence the order of binding affinity of these methylxanthines with denatured the form of DNA and in the presence of metal ions is visualized as “theophylline theobromine.caffeine”. Moreover it is needed to be clarified that even though the Tm or pH melting directs the native double helical DNA to undergo helix-coil transitions, at some ext.