Thermal transition of DNA measured by NMR spin-echo technique

✍ Scribed by Barbara Lubas; Tadeusz Wilczok; Olgierd K.-Daszkiewicz

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1967
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 436 KB
• Volume: 5
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0006-3525
• DOI: 10.1002/bip.1967.360051009

✦ Synopsis

The thermal helix-coil transition of DNA can be studied by means of the spin-echo technique. The longitudinal spin-lattice relaxation time T I and the transverse spin-spin relaxation time TZ of the DNA sample show a similar phase transition as observed spectrophotometrically with increasing and decreasing temperatures. Four slopes on the TI and Tz temperature relationship curves were found and interpreted as functions of nonrotational hydration of the DNA molecule. The T I and Tz values differ depending on the native or denatured state of the DNA molecule. The importance of the dynamic equilibrium between water molecules in the hydration lattice and steps in the denaturation of the DNA molecule are discussed. This phenomenon may be directly related to the nonrot,ational hydration.