Photosensitized splitting of cis-syn 1,3-dimethyluracil dimer by tryptophan and its peptides

Photosensitized splitting of cis-syn 1,3-dimethyluracil dimer by tryptophan (Trp) and its peptides (Trp-Tyr and Trp-Phe) is studied by fluorescence quenching experiments and irradiation experiments.It reveals that 1,3-dimethyluracil dimer is mainly split by e?-?aq resulting from two-photon ionization of Trp and its peptides under irradiation with light (λ>290 nm).Moreover,the excited singlet state of Trp and its peptides can transfer an electron to the dimer,which splits and gives two pyrimidines.In addition,because of its lower oxidative potential,the excited triplet state of Trp-Tyr can also split the dimer via transfering an electron to the dimer.