The 9‐ and 12‐dimethylaminophenyl‐substituted berberine derivatives 3 a and 3 b were readily synthesized by Suzuki‐Miyaura reactions and shown to be useful fluorescent probes for the optical detection of quadruplex DNA (G4‐DNA). Their association with the nucleic acids was investigated by spectrometric titrations, CD and LD spectroscopy, and with DNA‐melting analysis. Both ligands bind to duplex DNA by intercalation and to G4‐DNA by terminal π stacking. At neutral conditions, they bind with higher affinity (Kb=105−106 M−1) to representative quadruplex forming oligonucleotides 22AG, c‐myc, c‐kit, and a2, than to duplex calf thymus (ct) DNA (Kb=5‐7×104 M−1). At pH 5, however, the affinity of 3 a towards G4‐DNA 22AG is higher (Kb=1.2×106 M−1), whereas the binding constant towards ct DNA is lower (Kb=3.9×103 M−1) than under neutral conditions. Notably, the association of the ligand with DNA results in characteristic changes of the absorption and emission properties under specific conditions, which may be used for optical DNA detection. Other than the parent berberine, the ligands do not show a noticeable increase of their very low intrinsic emission intensity upon association with DNA at neutral conditions. In contrast, a fluorescence light‐up effect was observed upon association to duplex (Φfl=0.01) and quadruplex DNA (Φfl=0.04) at pH 5. This fluorimetric response to G4‐DNA association in combination with the distinct, red‐shifted absorption under these conditions provides a simple and conclusive optical detection of G4‐DNA at lower pH.

The dye 3‐(4‐(N,N‐dimethylamino)phenyl)naphtho[1,2‐b]quinolizinium was synthesized by means of a Suzuki–Miyaura reaction in good yield, and its binding properties with duplex DNA, quadruplex DNA (G4‐DNA), RNA, and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were investigated by photometric, fluorimetric and polarimetric titrations and DNA denaturation analysis. The compound intercalates into DNA and RNA, associates in binding site I of BSA, and binds to G4‐DNA by terminal π stacking. The ligand exhibits a fluorescence light‐up effect upon complexation to these biomacromolecules, which is more pronounced and blue shifted in the presence of BSA (Φfl=0.29, λfl=627 nm) than with the nucleic acids (Φfl=0.01–0.05, λfl=725–750 nm). Furthermore, the triple‐exponential fluorescence decay of the probe when bound to biomacromolecules in a cell enables their visualization in this medium and the differential labeling of cellular components.

A phosphate-substituted, zwitterionic berberine derivative was synthesized and its binding properties with duplex DNA and G4-DNA were studied using photometric, fluorimetric and polarimetric titrations and thermal DNA denaturation experiments. The ligand binds with high affinity toward both DNA forms (Kb = 2–7 × 105 M−1) and induces a slight stabilization of G4-DNA toward thermally induced unfolding, mostly pronounced for the telomeric quadruplex 22AG. The ligand likely binds by aggregation and intercalation with ct DNA and by terminal stacking with G4-DNA. Thus, this compound represents one of the rare examples of phosphate-substituted DNA binders. In an aqueous solution, the title compound has a very weak fluorescence intensity (Φfl < 0.01) that increases significantly upon binding to G4-DNA (Φfl = 0.01). In contrast, the association with duplex DNA was not accompanied by such a strong fluorescence light-up effect (Φfl < 0.01). These different fluorimetric responses upon binding to particular DNA forms are proposed to be caused by the different binding modes and may be used for the selective fluorimetric detection of G4-DNA.

Eleven novel 10-O-aryl-substituted berberrubine and berberine derivatives were synthesized by the Cu2+-catalyzed Chan–Evans–Lam coupling of berberrubine with arylboronic acids and subsequent 9-O-methylation. The reaction is likely introduced by the Cu2+-induced demethylation of berberrubine and subsequent arylation of the resulting 10-oxyanion functionality. Thus, this synthetic route represents the first successful Cu-mediated coupling reaction of berberine substrates. The DNA-binding properties of the 10-O-arylberberine derivatives with duplex and quadruplex DNA were studied by thermal DNA denaturation experiments, spectrometric titrations as well as CD and LD spectroscopy. Fluorimetric DNA melting analysis with different types of quadruplex DNA revealed a moderate stabilization of the telomeric quadruplex-forming oligonucleotide sequence G3(TTAG3)3. The derivatives showed a moderate affinity towards quadruplex DNA (K b = 5–9 × 105 M−1) and ct DNA (K b = 3–5 × 104 M−1) and exhibited a fluorescence light-up effect upon complexation to both DNA forms, with slightly higher intensity in the presence of the quadruplex DNA. Furthermore, the CD- and LD-spectroscopic studies revealed that the title compounds intercalate into ct DNA and bind to G4-DNA by terminal stacking.

The non-fluorescent 9-nitrobenzo[b]quinolizinium is readily reduced by nitroreductase to fluorescent reaction products whose formation depends on the reaction conditions.