Psoralen

Description

"Psoralen is a furocoumarin that intercalates with DNA, inhibiting DNA synthesis and cell division. Psoralen is used in Photochemotherapy with high-intensity long-wavelength UVA irradiation. Psoralens are tricyclic furocumarins and have a strong tendency to intercalate with DNA base pairs. Irradiation of nucleic acids in the presence of psoralen with long wave UV (~360 nm) results in the 2+2 cyclo- addition of either of its two photoreactive sites with 5,6-carbon bonds of pyrimidines resulting in crosslinking double-stranded nucleic acids." Source: NCIt

structure, image from PubChem

Alternative names

• Ficusin
• 7H-Furo[3,2-g]chromen-7-one
• Furocoumarin

References

• Adil et al 2019
• NCBI PubChem CID:6199

> 97 Xenbase articles contain a reference to Psoralen according to textpresso

• Back To Small Molecules Home Page