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Specific intra- and intermolecular quadruplex conformations of model G-DNA oligonucleotides have been identified from their translational and rotational diffusion coefficients in aqueous solution. The transport properties were determined by polarized and depolarized dynamic light scattering. A comparison with hydrodynamic model calculations provides detailed information about the size and shape of the molecules and allows one to distinguish between alternative intra- and intermolecular association. The potential of this combination of methods to elucidate biomolecular structures in solution, to characterize conformational changes, and follow intermolecular interaction processes due to a response to external stimuli has been discussed.

The construction of detailed bead models with atomic resolution has been proposed to identify DNA and RNA conformations by hydrodynamic methods in solution. Comparison of model predictions with experimental values for the translational and rotational diffusion coefficients of a homologous series of double-helical B-DNA oligonucleotides has demonstrated the validity and consistency of this strategy when hydration of the molecules is properly accounted for. Further investigations of "hairpin" and quadruplex model oligonucleotides reveal the potential of this technique to differentiate between DNA conformations. This combination of model calculations with experimental hydrodynamic methods provides a powerful means to identify DNA or RNA conformations in solution, follow conformational changes under a wide variety of solvent conditions, or characterize intermolecular associations with other components of (bio)molecular importance.