DYNAMICS OF $tRNA*{val}$ MEASURED WITH A LONG-LIFETIME METAL-LIGAND COMPLEX

[Ru(bpy)$_2$(dppz)]$^2$$^{+}$ (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, dppz = dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine)(RuBD), a long-lifetime metal-ligand complex displays photophysical properties including long lifetime, polarized emission, and very little background fluorescence. To further show the usefulness of this luminophore(RuBD) for probing nucleic acid dynamics, its intensity and anisotropy decays when bound to tRN $A^{val}$ were examined using frequency-domain fluorometry with a blue light-emitting diode(LED)as the modulated light source. Unexpectedly much longer mean lifetime was obtained at 4$^{\circ}C$(<$\tau$>=178.3 ns) as compared to at $25^{\circ}C$(<$\tau$>=117.0 ns), suggesting more favorable conformation of tRN $A^{val}$ for RuBD when intercalated at 4$^{\circ}C$. The anisotropy decay data showed longer rotational correlation times at 4$^{\circ}C$(52.7 and 13.0 ns) than at $25^{\circ}C$ (32.9 and 10.3 ns). The presence of two rotational correlation times suggests that RuBD reveals both local and overall rotational motion of tRN $A^{val}$. Due to long lifetime of RuBD and small size of tRN $A^{val}$, very low steady-state anisotropy values were observed, 0.048 and 0.036 at 4 and $25^{\circ}C$, respectively. However, a clear difference in the modulated anisotropy values was seen between 4 and $25^{\circ}C$. These results indicate that RuBD can be useful for studying hydrodynamics of small nucleic acids such as tRN $A^{val}$.^{val}$.>.$.>.