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Probing DNA quaternary ordering with circular dichroism spectroscopy: Studies of equine sperm chromosomal fibers
Author(s) -
Sipski M. Leonide,
Wagner Thomas E.
Publication year - 1977
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.1977.360160308
Subject(s) - circular dichroism , chemistry , dna , chromatin , molecule , macromolecule , crystallography , spectroscopy , sperm , spermatozoon , biophysics , biochemistry , organic chemistry , biology , genetics , physics , quantum mechanics
Studies are described which strongly support a cholesteric liquid crystal‐like quaternary structure for the DNA molecules of a biologically native chromosomal preparation from equine sperm cells. Discrete chromosomal fibers released from the head pieces of equine spermatozoon cells were prepared intact and probed for liquid crystalline ordering using reflectance and linear dichroism spectroscopy. Assuming cholesteric liquid crystalline order for the DNA molecules within the chromatin fibers, parameters measured experimentally were used to calculate the circular dichroism (CD) of the fibers. The calculated results compare remarkably well with the experimentally measured CD of the sperm chromosomal fibers and suggest a specific cholesteric liquid crystal‐like quanternary structural ordering of DNA molecules in equine sperm chromatin fibers. The potential of CD spectroscopy as a tool for the study of long‐range ordering of macromolecules is discussed.