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Thermal fluctuations of DNA enclosed by glycerol–water glassy matrices: an elastic neutron scattering investigation

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Abstract

Through elastic neutron scattering measurements, we investigated the thermal fluctuations of DNA enclosed by glycerol–water glassy matrices, at different levels of hydration, over the wide temperature range from 20 to 300 K. For all the samples, the extracted hydrogen mean square displacements (MSD) show a purely vibrational harmonic trend at very low temperatures, and a first onset of anharmonic dynamics above ∼100 K. Such onset is consistent with the activation of DNA methyl group rotational motions. Then, at a certain temperature T d, the MSD show a second onset of anharmonicity, which corresponds to the DNA dynamical transition. The T d values vary as a function of the hydration degree of the environment. The crucial role of the solvent mobility to activate the DNA thermal fluctuations is proposed, together with a preferential hydration effect of the DNA phosphate groups. Finally, a comparison between the average mobility of homologous samples of DNA and the lysozyme protein is considered.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Fisica dell’Università di Perugia, CEMIN (Centro di Eccellenza per i Materiali Innovativi Nanostrutturati) and INFM CRS-SOFT, Via Pascoli, 06123, Perugia, Italy

    E. Cornicchi, M. Marconi, G. Onori & A. Paciaroni

  2. Donostia International Physics Center and Departamento de Física de Materiales, UPV-EHU, Facultad de Química, Apartado 1072, 20080, San Sebastian, Spain

    S. Capponi

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  1. E. Cornicchi
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  2. S. Capponi
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  3. M. Marconi
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  4. G. Onori
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  5. A. Paciaroni
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Correspondence to E. Cornicchi.

Additional information

Advanced neutron scattering and complementary techniques to study biological systems. Contributions from the meetings, “Neutrons in Biology”, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, UK, 11–13 July and “Proteins At Work 2007”, Perugia, Italy, 28–30 May 2007.

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Cornicchi, E., Capponi, S., Marconi, M. et al. Thermal fluctuations of DNA enclosed by glycerol–water glassy matrices: an elastic neutron scattering investigation. Eur Biophys J 37, 583–590 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00249-008-0268-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00249-008-0268-1

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