Basic Principles in Nucleic Acid Chemistry V2

Basic Principles in Nuclear Acid Chemistry, Volume II presents the significant progress in nucleic acid research and its contribution and influence on various aspects of human life. This book contains five chapters and begins with the susceptibility of nucleic acids towards attack by chemical reagents whose reactions with polynucleotides have been studied. This topic is followed by a presentation of experimental techniques used to study the properties of nucleic acids. The following chapter discusses some basic features embodied in the polyribo- and poly-deoxyribonucleotide backbone chains; the possibility of rotation around backbone bonds in the ""random"" single-stranded form; and the short- and long-range interactions in idealized and real chains. This chapter also looks into the thermodynamic and polyelectrolyte aspects of nucleic acid behavior. A chapter describes the special features of the third class of DNA, namely, closed duplex DNA, in which covalent chain scissions are absent. The last chapter examines the intrinsic properties and the interaction of the dimers and oligomers, with special emphasis on the influence of the phosphodiester linkages on the conformation and interaction of these short segments of nucleic acids. This book is of great value to workers in biomedical research and to higher level biochemistry instructors.

List of Contributors

Preface

Contents of Other Volumes

1. Chemical Reactions of Polynucleotides and Nucleic Acids

I. Reactivity of Polynucleotides

II. Base Modification by Nucleophilic Species

III. Base Modification by Electrophilic Species

IV. Reactions Affecting the Internucleotide Linkage

V. Influence of Conformation on Reactivity in Polynucleotides

References

2. Ultraviolet Spectroscopy, Circular Dichroism, and Optical Rotatory Dispersion

I. Theoretical Introduction

II. Nucleotide Chromophores

III. Experimental Techniques—Ultraviolet Absorption Spectra

IV. Experimental Techniques—Optical Activity

References

3. Hydrodynamic and Thermodynamic Studies

I. Introduction

II. Basic Theoretical Aspects

III. Specific Topics

References

4. Circular DNA

I. General Introduction

II. The Topological Constraint

III. The Special Thermodynamic Properties of Closed Double-Stranded DNA

IV. The Tertiary Structure

V. The Helix-Coil Transition

VI. Reactions with Intercalating Substances

VII. The Measurement of Superhelix Density

VIII. Other Factors Which Affect the Superhelix Density

IX. The Enzymic Preparation of Closed DNA of Preselected Superhelix Density

X. Heterogeneity in Superhelix Density

XL Complex Forms of Closed Circular DNA

XII. Closed Circular Replicative Intermediates

XIII. Circular DNA as a Substrate in Nucleic Acid Enzymology

XIV. The Occurrence of Closed Circular DNA Glossary of Terms Used in the Description of Closed Circular DNA

References

5. Dinucleoside Monophosphates, Dinucleotides, and Oligonucleotides

I. Intrinsic Properties

II. Interaction between Dinucleotides and Oligonucleotides

III. Interaction between Oligonucleotides and Polynucleotides

References

Author Index

Subject Index