Proflavine binding to transfer ribonucleic acid, synthetic ribonucleic acids, and deoxyribonucleic acid.

The ability of proflavine to directly inhibit protein synthesis has led to an investigation of complex formation between the drug and ribonucleic acid. Evidence has been obtained from absorption and fluorescence spectra, as well as heat denaturation curves, that proflavine forms a complex with transfer ribonucleic acid which is qualitatively similar to the deoxyribonucleic acid-proflavine complex. Additional studies with polyadenylate, polyuridylate, and polycytidylate emphasize the importance of nucleic acid secondary structure, the ionic environment, and the molar ratio of nucleotide to proflavine in determining the type of drug-nucleic acid complex which will be formed.