Quantitative and comprehensive decomposition of the ion atmosphere around nucleic acids.

ABSTRACT: The ion atmosphere around nucleic acids critically affects biological and physical processes such as chromosome packing, RNA folding, and molecular recognition. However, the dynamic nature of the ion atmosphere renders it difficult to characterize. The basic thermodynamic description of this atmosphere, a full accounting of the type and number of associated ions, has remained elusive. Here we provide the first complete accounting of the ion atmosphere, using buffer equilibration and atomic emission spectroscopy (BE-AES) to accurately quantitate the cation association and anion depletion. We have examined the influence of ion size and charge on ion occupancy around simple, well-defined DNA molecules. The relative affinity of monovalent and divalent cations correlates inversely with their si

SUBMITTER: Bai Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3167487 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature