Adstract. An oligonucleotide dodecamer d-GGTAClAGTACC containing two inosine-adenosine mismatched base-pairs has been studied by ~H and 3~p NMR spectroscopy. Unique assignments of ~H and ~rp spins have been achieved by using a recently proposed two-dimensional heteronuclear long range correlation (2D-HELCO) teehnique. The 2D nuclear Overhauser enhancement speclroscopy (NOESY) speclrum recorded in a mixed solvent of 90 % 1-I20 + 10 % 2H20 has been used to assign all the exchangeable imino and amino proton resonanees. NMR results indieate that at concentmtions above 5 mM, the molecule adopts a duplex structure where the inosine imino protons are hydrogen bonded. Crossstrand NOEs between the imino proton of 16 and H2 proton of A7 and that between I4_2 of 16 and H2 of A7 provide evidence for inosine-adenosine base-pairing, with both bases 16 and A7 in anti conformation. The observed NOE eonnectivifles dl, a'2 and d3 from almost the middle of the molecule to the two ends are consistent with a ¡ handed B-DNA conformation. However, the molecule adopts a more extended conformation in the mismatch regiun to aceomodate the bulky purine-purine (lA) base pairs. NMR experiments at lower concentrations indicate the coexistente of a monomeric hairpin with a two base loop, eonsisting of 16 and A7 units, in equilibrium with the duplex. 2D-ROESY expe¡ at such a concenlration shows that the conformation of the stem of the hairpin does not deviate much fi'om the corresponding region of the duplex and four nucleotides C5, I6, A7 and G8 undergo significant structural changes during the formation of hairpin loop.