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Large mixed complexes involving uracil, cytosine, thymine and/or 1‐methyl uracil around Ca 2+ ions: an electrospray ionization/MS study
Author(s) -
EmilieLaure Zins
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.475
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9888
pISSN - 1076-5174
DOI - 10.1002/jms.3175
Subject(s) - uracil , chemistry , nucleobase , thymine , cytosine , electrospray ionization , stereochemistry , crystallography , mass spectrometry , dna , ion , organic chemistry , biochemistry , chromatography
We investigated the possible formation of mixed B n B′ n ′ Ca 2+ complexes where B and B′ are two different nucleobases. Electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometric experiments from solutions containing two different kinds of nucleobases and calcium ions were carried out to investigate the formation of magic number clusters that may be relevant in a biological point of view. The results presented here clearly show that mixed complexes can be formed and are stable in the gas phase. This represents an important step toward more complex solutions in which several nucleobases are present simultaneously and may compete in the formation of cationized clusters. We believe that thorough investigations on such systems may help understanding biological processes that may effect the tridimensional structure of the DNA macromolecule. The formation of mixed hexamers, decamers, dodecamers and tetradecamers are clearly favored from solution containing uracil (Ura), thymine (Thy) and Ca 2+ , whereas mixed octamers are preferred from 1‐methyl uracil (MeU), uracil and Ca 2+ mixtures. Cytosine (Cyto) can form mixed complexes with either uracil or 1‐methyl uracil or thymine. On the other hand, the main species formed in these latter cases are mixed tetramers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.