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Optical rotatory dispersion and circular dichroism of silver(I):Polyribonucleotide complexes
Author(s) -
Arya S. K.,
Yang Jen Tsi
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
biopolymers
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.556
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1097-0282
pISSN - 0006-3525
DOI - 10.1002/bip.1975.360140907
Subject(s) - polynucleotide , optical rotatory dispersion , chemistry , circular dichroism , cotton effect , crystallography , nucleotide , stereochemistry , pyrimidine , biochemistry , gene
Optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) and circular dichroism (CD) spectra of single‐ and multistranded polyribonucleotides undergo extensive changes on binding of the silver ion. These changes are consistent with the proposition that Ag(I) binds to the heterocyclic bases and not to the phosphate groups of polynucleotides. ORD and CD of silver complexes of poly(A)·poly(U) and double‐helical rice dwarf viral RNA display negative Cotton effects when there is more than one Ag(I) per two nucleotide residues in solution. These observations suggest a significant distortion of the double‐helical conformation as a result of Ag(I) binding. Silver(I) binding sites of pyrimidine polynucleotides are apparently saturated when there is one Ag(I) per two nucleotide residues and those of purine polynucleotides at one Ag(I) per nucleotide in solution. These data are consistent with the supposition that some Ag(I) binding sites exist on the pyrimidine ring and additional sites on the imidazole ring of polynucleotides. The sedimentation coefficient of poly(A) increases by severalfold when one Ag(I) is present per nucleotide residue. Silver(I) may introduce intra‐ and interstrand cross‐links (through bidentate chelates) in single‐stranded polynucleotides, resulting in structures with high sedimentation coefficients. Among the polynucleotides studied, poly(U) was an exception. Silver(I) did not affect the optical properties (absorbance, ORD, and CD) of poly(U) at neutral pH.