Association by hydrogen bonding of free nucleosides in non-aqueous solution

Association by hydrogen bonding of mononucleotides in aqueous solution

Evidence for hydrogen bonding between 5'-ribonucleotides in water has been obtained from a 220-MHz proton magnetic resonance study of nitrogenous protons. The amino groups of GMP, AMP, and CMP exhibit proton resonance lines which are somewhat broadened by proton exchange with the solvent at 0 degrees ; their downfield Shifts in mixtures of mononucleotides provide the basis for the following order of base-pairing tendencies: GMP.CMP > AMP.UMP. Hydrogen bonding is also observed in other pairs of mononucleotides, notably GMP.UMP, AMP.CMP, and CMP.UMP, to a lesser extent in GMP.IMP, CMP.XMP, and possibly in CMP.IMP. In agreement with previous reports, hydrophobic interactions of mononucleotides have also been observed; base pairing occurs in addition to vertical stacking of these bases, their hydrogen bonding to water, or self-association. Only CMP shows clear evidence of self-association via hydrogen bonding in water; the evidence for GMP is less direct, and that for AMP is negative. This lack of observable self-association may occur as a result of competition from strong stacking interactions. Only CMP shows restricted rotation of the amino group at 0 degrees and neutral pH. As expected, higher temperatures increase the rate of rotation of the amino group for CMP, as well as accelerate the rate of proton exchange between water and the amino protons of mononucleotides.High-resolution proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy could prove to be a valuable tool in mapping out the specificities conferred by hydrogen bonding between biomolecules in aqueous solution.

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance studies of myoglobin in H2O

Exchangeable hydrogens in proteins can be identified by comparison of nuclear magnetic resonance spectra obtained in H(2)O and in D(2)O. In oxymyoglobin and myoglobin we have been able to observe resonances of the NH protons of the two tryptophans, as well as one resonance from arginine and one from histidine in the range -10 to -15 ppm downfield from 3-(trimethylsilyl)propanesulfonic acid (sodium salt). These resonances have been identified by chemical modifications coupled with considerations of crystallographic structure and the dependence of the resonances on the species (sperm whale, porpoise, horse) from which the myglobin was obtained and on spin, pH, and temperature.

Crystal structure of the 1: 1 complex of 5-fluorouracil and 9-ethylhypoxanthine

9-Ethylhypoxanthine and 5-fluorouracil form a 1 : 1 crystalline complex. The structure of this complex has been solved by x-ray diffraction analysis. The molecules crystallize in a monoclinic lattice and form a sheet structure in which pairs of fluorouracil molecules are held together by two hydrogen bonds. The 9-ethylhypoxanthine residues fill up the rest of the molecular sheet by forming single hydrogen bonds with each uracil pair.

Denaturation and renaturation of viral ribonucleic acid. I. Annealing R17 ribonucleic acid with denatured replicative form or with denatured replicative intermediate

Purified replicative form (RF) and replicative intermediate (RI) prepared from Escherichia coli infected with R17 were denatured in 0.15 m NaCl, 0.015 m sodium citrate containing 65% dimethylsulfoxide. Denaturation of RF or RI was demonstrated spectrophotometrically, chromatographically, and by sedimentation analysis. Denatured RF or RI was annealed by carefully decreasing the temperature from 62 to 20 C. Annealing was accompanied by a decreased absorbance at 260 mmu. The decrease in absorbance during annealing appeared to be dependent upon the rate of cooling and the concentration of ribonucleic acid (RNA). Denatured RF or RI was annealed with R17 RNA which was labeled with (3)H-uridine. The annealed product was 73 to 82% resistant to 0.1 mug/ml of ribonuclease. Annealing R17 RNA with either denatured RF or RI resulted in the formation of a ribonuclease-resistant product with a sedimentation profile resembling that of native RI. Melting the annealed products in 85.7% dimethyl sulfoxide produced 27S single-stranded R17 RNA and a heterogeneous population of more slowly sedimenting RNA.