Molecular electrostatic potential of the nucleic acids

Abstract

It is generally acknowledged that geometrical and conformational properties of biopolymers have an important effect on their biochemical behaviour. It is less easily recognized that these properties depend also on their macromolecular electronic characteristics.The aim of this review is to demonstrate the significance of such macromolecular electronic effects. Particularly useful for this sake is the recently much developed concept of ‘molecular electrostatic potential’ (MEP) (Scrocco & Tomasi, 1973, 1978) by which is defined the electrostatic (Coulomb) potential created in the neighbouring space by the nuclear charges and the eletronic distribution of a molecule.

New insights in the formation of deoxynucleoside adducts with the heterocyclic aromatic amines PhIP and IQ by means of ion trap MSn and accurate mass measurement of fragment ions

“…Nevertheless, the N7 position of guanine is the target of genotoxic compounds because the N7 atom is described as the most nucleophilic site of dG and therefore should be a favored position for electrophilic derivative attacks [25]. Generally, dG-N7 adducts are not stable and rapidly undergo decomposition reactions, mainly depurination [26,27], which have not been observed during our work.…”

High-resolution Digital Mapping of N-Methylpurines in Human Cells Reveals Modulation of Their Induction and Repair by Nearest-neighbor Nucleotides

“…The effects of the 3Ј neighbor nucleotides on the 7MeG induction may also be due to modulation of the electrostatic potential. It can be predicted that the electrostatic potential at the N 7 position of a G can be reinforced by a 3Ј-G or -T (19,20).…”

A Review of the Role of the Sequence-Dependent Electrostatic Landscape in DNA Alkylation Patterns

“…For reactions with ds-DNA, the issues of accessibility and nucleophilicity of individual DNA sites need to be considered (19). Based upon a combination of these two factors, the major product of ds-DNA alkylation occurs at N7-G. Obviously sites that are reactive in nucleosides and ss-DNA become refractory to alkylation if they happen to be inaccessible upon formation of the Watson-Crick duplex.…”