It is found that L-cysteine-capped nano-ZnS can further enhance the fluorescence intensity of the morin-nucleic acid system. Under optimum conditions, the enhanced intensity of fluorescence is proportional to the concentration of nucleic acid in the range of 7.0 x 10(-8)-1.0 x 10(-5) g mL(-1) for fish sperm DNA (fsDNA) and 9.0 x 10(-8)-5.0 x 10(-6) g mL(-1) for yeast RNA (yRNA). The corresponding detection limits (S/N = 3) are 2.0 x 10(-8) g mL(-1) and 4.0 x 10(-8) g mL(-1), respectively. The interaction mechanisms of morin-nucleic acid-L-cysteine-capped nano-ZnS system are studied by multiple techniques. It is considered that there exists synergistic effects of groove binding and electrostatic interaction between morin, L-cysteine-capped nano-ZnS and nucleic acid, and the complex of morin-L-cysteine-capped nano-ZnS-nucleic acid is formed.