The nature of some of the linkages in deoxypentose nucleic acids

Knowledge of the linkages in deoxyribonucleic acids is reviewed and extended. Chromatographic analyses and electrometric titrations on deoxyribonucleic acids isolated from various sources indicate a greater degree of branching than has been previously assumed. Available evidence on the nature of hydrogen bonding in these nucleic acids is surveyed. Evidence for the possible existence of a highly labile glycosidic linkage is presented. The action of dilute alkali under mild conditions on deoxyribonucleic acids, as described by Euler & Fono (1948), is reinterpreted.