N'-formylkynurenine-photosensitized inactivation of bacteriophage

Measurements have been made of the sensitizing properties of N'-formylkynurenine (FK) on bacteriophages, as part of a wider study of FK photosensitization of systems which have both protein and DNA components. Suspensions of bacteriophages T6 and T7 were near-U.V. (lambda > 320 nm) irradiated in solutions saturated with either O2 or He in the presence of 5 x 10-4M FK. The survival curves obtained demonstrated that FK can act as a photosensitizer for biological inactivation. The involvement of singlet oxygen as one factor in this FK sensitized inactivation was clearly demonstrated by the increased rate of inactivation when the phage were suspended in O2-saturated D2O, in place of water, during irradiation. The complex mechanism of phage inactivation must involve direct interaction between excited FK and substrate, as well as singlet oxygen. FK is therefore a new natural photosensitizer of significance in cell photochemistry induced by sunlight. (U.K.)