Luminescence-based colorimetric discrimination of single-nucleotide transversions by the combined use of the derivatives of DOTA-conjugated naphthyridine and its terbium complex

We newly synthesized a nucleobase-binding ligand, ND-DOTA, in which 2-amino-5,7-dimethyl-1,8-naphthyridine (ND) was conjugated with 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (DOTA) via an amide linker, and found that its terbium(III) complex (ND-DOTA-Tb) showed green emission based on an energy transfer from the naphthyridine moiety to Tb³⁺. The blue emission of ND-DOTA was selectively quenched by adding abasic site-containing DNA duplexes that have pyrimidine bases opposite to the abasic site. In contrast, at the same excitation wavelength, ND-DOTA-Tb showed green emission independently of the bases opposite to the abasic site. Thus, a mixed solution of ND-DOTA and ND-DOTA-Tb enabled the luminescence-based colorimetric discrimination of single-nucleotide transversions with the naked eye at a single excitation wavelength.