Configuration-dependent properties of randomly coiling polynucleotide chains. II. The role of the phosphodiester linkage
✍ Scribed by Wilma K. Olson
- Publisher
- Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
- Year
- 1975
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 772 KB
- Volume
- 14
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0006-3525
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Abstract
The dependence of the unperturbed dimensions of randomly coiling polynucleotides on the rotations about the phosphodiester linkages of the chain has been examined in order to understand the conformational discrepancies, set forth in paper I, regarding these angles (ω′ and ω). Large values of the characteristic ratio 〈r^2^〉~0~/n____l^2^, which agree with the experimental behavior of the chain, are obtained only if a sizeable proportion of the polymer residues have trans ω′ values. The asymmetric torsional potential that is believed to arise from gauche effects associated with the P‐O bonds has been approximated using a hard core model. The calculated characteristic ratio exhibits a strong dependence upon the magnitude of this torsional barrier (separating trans and gauche conformations) and shows agreement with experimental values for polyribonucleotides only if this energy difference is 1 kcal/mol or less.