The DNA double helix is not a regular, featureless barberpole molecule. Different base sequences have their own special signature, in the way that they influence groove width, helical twist, bending, and mechanical rigidity or resistance to bending. These special features probably help other molecules such as repressors to read and recognize one base sequence in preference to another. Single crystal x-ray structure analysis is beginning to show us the various structures possible in the B-DNA family. The DNA decamer C-C-A-A-G-A-T-T-G-G appears to be a better model for mixed-sequence B-DNA than was the earlier C-G-C-G-A-A-T-T-C-G-C-G, which is more akin to regions of poly(dA).poly(dT). The G.A mismatch base pairs at the center of the decamer are in the anti-anti conformation about their bonds from base to sugar, in agreement with nuclear magnetic resonance evidence on this and other sequences, and in contrast to the anti-syn geometry reported for G.A pairs in C-G-C-G-A-A-T-T-A-G-C-G. The ordered spine of hydration seen earlier in the narrow-grooved dodecamer has its counterpart, in this wide-grooved decamer, in two strings of water molecules lining the walls of the minor groove, bridging from purine N3 or pyrimidine O2, to the following sugar O4'. The same strings of hydration are present in the phosphorothioate analog of G-C-G-C-G-C. Unlike the spine, which is broken up by the intrusion of amine groups at guanines, these water strings are found in general, mixed-sequence DNA because they can pass by unimpeded to either side of a guanine N2 amine. The spine and strings are perceived as two extremes of a general pattern of hydration of the minor groove, which probably is the dominant factor in making B-DNA the preferred form at high hydration.

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1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of a self-complementary ribosyl hexanucleotide, A2GCU2, are investigated as a function of temperature and ionic strength in D2O. Seventeen nonexchangeable base and ribose-H1' resonances are resolved, and unequivocally assigned by a systematic comparison with the spectra of a series of oligonucleotide fragments of the A2GCU2 sequence varying in chain length from 2 to 5. Changes in the chemical shifts of the 17 protons from the hexamer as well as the six H1'-H2' coupling constants are followed throughout a thermally induced helix-coil transition. These sigma vs. T and J vs. T (degrees C) profiles indicate that the transition is not totally cooperative and that substantial populations of partially bonded structures must exist at intermediate temperatures, with the central G-C region being most stable. Transitions in chemical shift for protons in the same base pair exhibit considerable differences in their Tm values as the data reflect both thermodynamic and local magnetic field effects in the structural transition, which are not readily separable. However, an average of the Tm values agrees well with the value predicted from studies of the thermally induced transition made by optical methods. The values of J1'-2' for all six residues become very small (less than 1.5 Hz) at low temperatures indicating that C3'-endo is the most heavily populated furanose conformation in the helix. The sigma values of protons in the duplex were compared with those calculated from the ring current magnetic anisotropies of nearest and next-nearest neighboring bases using the geometrical parameters of the A'-RNA and B-DNA models. The sigma values of the base protons in the duplex calculated assuming the A'-RNA geometry agree (+/- approximately 0.1 ppm) with the observed values much more accurately than those calculated on the basis of B-DNA geometry. The measured sigma values of the H1' are not accurately predicted from either model. The synthesis of 35 mg of A2GCU2 using primer-dependent polynucleotide phosphorylase is described in detail with extensive discussion in the microfilm edition.

An analogue of the homopyrimidine oligodeoxyribonucleotide d(CT)8 has been synthesized. This analogue, d(CT)8 contains nonionic methylphosphonate internucleoside linkages. The pH-dependent conformational transitions of d(CT)8 have been studied and its ability to form duplexes and triplexes with the normal homopurine oligonucleotide d(AG)8 has also been investigated as a function of pH. Circular dichroism spectroscopy and ethidium bromide fluorescence enhancement have been used to monitor pH-dependent conformational transitions driven by the protonation of cytosine residues, and the different behavior of d(CT)8 and d(CT)8 has been compared. It was possible to form self-associated complexes by using either d(CT)8 or d(CT)8, and both compounds combined with d(AG)8 to form duplex or triplex DNA. At neutral pH, the CD spectrum of d(AG)8.d(CT)8 duplex was quite different from the CD spectrum of d(AG)8.d(CT)8 duplex, reflecting most likely a difference in conformation. The duplex to triplex transition characteristic of this DNA sequence occurred at a lower pH when d(CT)8 was substituted for d(CT)8; however, at pH 4.2, triplex containing d(CT)8 was similar in conformation to triplex containing d(CT)8. Several of these observations can be related to the alterations in electrostatic and steric interactions that occur when the negatively charged phosphodiester backbone of d(CT)8 is replaced with a nonionic methylphosphonate backbone.

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