Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) Binding to Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
Experimental Biology and Medicine – August 01, 1968
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Adding DNA to solutions of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) significantly altered its absorption and fluorescence, demonstrating a strong interaction. The binding affinity was quantified with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 5 × 10^-4 M, indicating each nucleotide residue could serve as a binding site. Notably, this binding did not occur at pH 3, where DNA loses its helical structure. Heating the DNA or introducing magnesium chloride (3.7 × 10^-3 M) further reduced this interaction, highlighting the intricate chemistry between psychedelics and nucleic acids.
Abstract
SummaryAddition of DNA (but not RNA) to solutions of lysergic acid diethylamide resulted in a depression of the absorption and fluorescence spectra of the drug. The Kd for D-LSD: DNA binding, calculated from spectral changes, was 5 × 10-4 M, and each nucleotide residue was a potential binding site. Binding did not occur at pH 3 (where DNA is nonhelical), and was decreased by prior heating of the DNA or by adding MgCl2 at a concentration of 3.7 × 10-3M.