The Peculiarities of the RNA Luminescence

Abstract

The optical absorption, fluorescence and phosphorescence spectra of the RNA and ribonucleotides are investigated. Positions of the first excited singlet and triplet electronic energy levels of the RNA bases are evaluated. It is shown the energy structure of the RNA is determined mainly by the individual properties of the ribonucleotides π-electron systems. Comparing the phosphorescence spectra of the DNA, RNA and ribonucleotides two types of triplet excitations traps in the RNA are found: (1) adenosine groups and (2) the centers of unknown nature that manifest structureless long-wave phosphorescence and are not the same as for the DNA.

Keywords:

• optical absorption
• phosphorescence
• ribonucleotides
• RNA
• triplet excitations

Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (M196-2007). We are grateful to Dr. Volodymyr P. Vorobyov for ideas and help.