Anti-DNA, Intercalated Antibody (12401)

Ethidium bromide (EB) found fame in the late 1940s as an antitrypanosomal, antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antiviral agent.

Its biological effects are a direct consequence of the inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis, which in turn is related to the specific binding of the drug to DNA.

EB inhibits DNA polymerase and binds in vitro to both RNA and DNA.

Investigation into the precise nature of the DNA-EB binding mechanism led to the discovery that EB binds by a mechanism termed intercalation.

This process has been studied extensively during the past three decades, and the photophysical changes that accompany intercalation have been successfully applied to quantitate and structurally elucidate DNA.

More relevant to the use of EB in molecular biology are the observed variations in its fluorescent characteristics on binding to polynucleotides.