Conjugates of phthalocyanines with oligonucleotides as reagents for sensitized or catalytic DNA modification.

Several conjugates of metallophthalocyanines with deoxyribooligonucleotides were synthesized to investigate sequence-specific modification of DNA by them. Oligonucleotide parts of these conjugates were responsible for the recognition of selected complementary sequences on the DNA target. Metallophthalocyanines were able to induce the DNA modification: phthalocyanines of Zn(II) and Al(III) were active as photosensitizers in the generation of singlet oxygen (1)O(2), while phthalocyanine of Co(II) promoted DNA oxidation by molecular oxygen through the catalysis of formation of reactive oxygen species ((.