Salt-induced conformational transition of poly[d(A-T)] X poly[d(A-T)]

J Mol Biol. 1983 May 5;166(1):85-92. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(83)80052-7.

Abstract

Unique chiroptical properties of poly[d(A-T)] X poly[d(A-T)] observed in CsF solutions (Vorlícková et al., 1980) were specified by circular dichroism, ultraviolet light and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. It was found that up to a 3 M concentration of the salt, caesium cations induced a gradual rearrangement of the polynucleotide double helix during which the phosphodiester bonds in one sequence changed the geometry and the base stacking decreased. At higher CsF concentrations poly[d(A-T)] X poly[d(A-T)] underwent a transition toward a novel conformation which had phosphodiester bonds in both sequences in considerably different non-B-DNA geometries.

MeSH terms

  • Cesium
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Fluorides*
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation*
  • Poly dA-dT* / analogs & derivatives
  • Polydeoxyribonucleotides*
  • Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet

Substances

  • Polydeoxyribonucleotides
  • Cesium
  • Poly dA-dT
  • Fluorides
  • cesium fluoride