Non-Canonical Conformations of DNA Strands Containing Guanine and Adenine

Authors

  • J. Kypr Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno
  • M. Vorlickova Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno

Abstract

The review describes non-canonical conformers that are adopted by DNA strands containing alternating guanine (G) - adenine (A) or related repeats. The following factors stand behind their remarkably extensive conformational polymorphism extending beyond the Watson and Crick DNA model: a) many possibilities of GA and GG pairing; b) strong interactions between large purine bases including interstrand base stacking overlap and other stabilizing interactions, e.g., intercalation of bases into the parent duplex; c) almost equal stabilities of quanine and adenine in the anti and syn orientations around the glycosidic bonds. It is suggested that the (G+A)-rich sequences perform their biological functions through the unique conformational properties. This adds a further argument for an imagination that DNA does not only carry out its biological functions through being a passive template for transcription.

Published

1998-08-15

How to Cite

Kypr, J., & Vorlickova, M. (1998). Non-Canonical Conformations of DNA Strands Containing Guanine and Adenine. Chemické Listy, 92(7). Retrieved from http://www-.chemicke-listy.cz/ojs3/index.php/chemicke-listy/article/view/2687

Issue

Section

Articles