Hydrogen bonding between nucleobases is a crucial noncovalent interaction for life on Earth. Canonical nucleobases form base pairs according to two main geometries: Watson-Crick pairing, which enables the static functions of nucleic acids, such as the storing of genetic information; and Hoogsteen pairing, which facilitates the dynamic functions of these biomacromolecules. This precisely tuned system can be affected by oxidation or substitution of nucleobases, leading to changes in their hydrogen-bonding patterns. This paper presents an investigation into the intermolecular interactions of various 8-substituted purine derivatives with their hydrogen-bonding partners. The systems were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. Our results demonstrate that the stability of hydrogen-bonded complexes, or base pairs, depends primarily on the number of intermolecular H-bonds and their donor-acceptor alternation. No strong preferences for a particular geometry, either Watson-Crick or Hoogsteen, were found.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Tautomerism of nucleic acid (NA) bases is a crucial factor for the maintenance and translation of genetic information in organisms. Only canonical tautomers of NA bases can form hydrogen-bonded complexes with their natural counterparts. On the other hand, rare tautomers of nucleobases have been proposed to be involved in processes catalysed by NA enzymes. Isocytosine, which can be considered as a structural fragment of guanine, is known to have two stable tautomers both in solution and solid states. The tautomer equilibrium of isocytosine contrasts with the remarkable stability of the canonical tautomer of guanine. This paper investigates the factors contributing to the stability of the canonical tautomer of guanine by a combination of NMR experiments and theoretical calculations. The electronic effects of substituents on the stability of the rare tautomers of isocytosine and guanine derivatives are studied by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Selected derivatives are studied by variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy. Rare tautomers can be stabilised in solution by intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions with suitable partners. These intermolecular interactions give rise to characteristic signals in proton NMR spectra, which make it possible to undoubtedly confirm the presence of a rare tautomer.

• Klíčová slova
• DFT calculations, NMR spectroscopy, nucleic acids, tautomerism,
• MeSH
• cytosin analogy a deriváty   chemie   MeSH
• dimerizace MeSH
• DNA chemie   MeSH
• elektrony MeSH
• guanin chemie   MeSH
• kvantová teorie MeSH
• magnetická rezonanční spektroskopie metody   MeSH
• makromolekulární látky MeSH
• normální rozdělení MeSH
• reprodukovatelnost výsledků MeSH
• stereoizomerie MeSH
• termodynamika MeSH
• vodík chemie   MeSH
• vodíková vazba MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• cytosin MeSH
• DNA MeSH
• guanin MeSH
• isocytosine MeSH Prohlížeč
• makromolekulární látky MeSH
• vodík MeSH