Here we review studies that provided important information about conformational properties of DNA using circular dichroic (CD) spectroscopy. The conformational properties include the B-family of structures, A-form, Z-form, guanine quadruplexes, cytosine quadruplexes, triplexes and other less characterized structures. CD spectroscopy is extremely sensitive and relatively inexpensive. This fast and simple method can be used at low- as well as high-DNA concentrations and with short- as well as long-DNA molecules. The samples can easily be titrated with various agents to cause conformational isomerizations of DNA. The course of detected CD spectral changes makes possible to distinguish between gradual changes within a single DNA conformation and cooperative isomerizations between discrete structural states. It enables measuring kinetics of the appearance of particular conformers and determination of their thermodynamic parameters. In careful hands, CD spectroscopy is a valuable tool for mapping conformational properties of particular DNA molecules. Due to its numerous advantages, CD spectroscopy significantly participated in all basic conformational findings on DNA.

• MeSH
• A-DNA chemie   MeSH
• cirkulární dichroismus * MeSH
• denaturace nukleových kyselin MeSH
• DNA chemie   MeSH
• G-kvadruplexy MeSH
• konformace nukleové kyseliny MeSH
• Z-DNA chemie   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• A-DNA MeSH
• DNA MeSH
• triplex DNA MeSH Prohlížeč
• Z-DNA MeSH

We show using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis that guanine+adenine repeat strands of DNA associate into homoduplexes at neutral pH and moderate ionic strength. The homoduplexes melt in a cooperative way like the Watson-Crick duplex, although they contain no Watson-Crick base pair. Guanine is absolutely needed for the homoduplex formation and the homoduplex stability increases with the guanine content of the repeat. The present results have implications for the nature of the first replicators, as well as regarding forces stabilizing the duplexes of DNA.

• MeSH
• adenin chemie   MeSH
• cirkulární dichroismus * MeSH
• DNA chemie   MeSH
• elektroforéza v polyakrylamidovém gelu metody   MeSH
• guanin chemie   MeSH
• konformace nukleové kyseliny MeSH
• nukleotidy chemie   MeSH
• oligonukleotidy chemie   MeSH
• párování bází * MeSH
• pyrimidiny chemie   MeSH
• tandemové repetitivní sekvence * MeSH
• teplota MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• adenin MeSH
• DNA MeSH
• guanin MeSH
• nukleotidy MeSH
• oligonukleotidy MeSH
• pyrimidine MeSH Prohlížeč
• pyrimidiny MeSH