Role of base‐backbone and base‐base interactions in alternating DNA conformations

FEBS Letters

Finch, John T.²  Yagi, Naoto¹  Suzuki, Masashi² 

[1] Tohoku University, School of Medicine, Seiryo-machi, Sendai, 980-77, Japan;MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QH, UK

关键词: Nucleic acid;    Crystal structure;    Sequence-structure correlation;    Structural biology;   

DOI  :  10.1016/0014-5793(95)01506-X

学科分类：生物化学/生物物理

来源: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

【 摘 要 】

Sequence-specific conformational differences between dinucleotide steps are characterised using published crystal coordinates with special attention to steric hindrance of the methyl group of a T base to the neighbouring base, and, more importantly, to the sugar-phosphate backbone. The TT step is inflexible and B-like, as it has two methyl groups which interlock with each other and with the sugar-phosphate backbones. AT slides, or overtwists, so that the methyl groups move away from the backbones, both lead the step towards the A-conformation. TA is most flexible as it does not have such restriction. These characteristics are observed with other pyrimidine-pyrimidine, pyrimidine-purine, purine-pyrimidine steps, respectively, but to less extent, depending on the number of non-A: T basepairs in the steps.

【 授权许可】

Unknown