The relative flexibility of B-DNA and A-RNA duplexes: database analysis.

ABSTRACT: An extensive analysis of structural databases is carried out to investigate the relative flexibility of B-DNA and A-RNA duplexes in crystal form. Our results show that the general anisotropic concept of flexibility is not very useful to compare the deformability of B-DNA and A-RNA duplexes, since the flexibility patterns of B-DNA and A-RNA are quite different. In other words, 'flexibility' is a dangerous word for describing macromolecules, unless it is clearly defined. A few soft essential movements explain most of the natural flexibility of A-RNA, whereas many are necessary for B-DNA. Essential movements occurring in naked B-DNAs are identical to those necessary to deform DNA in DNA-protein complexes, which suggest that evolution has designed DNA-protein complexes so that B-DNA is deforme

SUBMITTER: Perez A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC534633 | biostudies-literature | 2004

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature