Résumé : A photoreactive ruthenium(II) complex that contains two tetraazaphenanthrene (TAP) and one phenanthroline (phen) ligands was synthesized and then tethered to (antisense) oligonucleotides (Ru-ASO) to target a destabilized GFP (dGFP). The specificity of the photoreaction of this Ru-ASO conjugate was studied in vitro by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) experiments in denaturing conditions. Other nonspecific Ru-ASO conjugates were also prepared and evaluated with human keratinocytes that expressed dGFP. An illumination-dependent cytotoxicity was observed for most Ru-ASO conjugates that varied from 10 to almost 40%, but only the specific Ru-ASO conjugate was able to significantly reduce GFP expression in illuminated cells.