Abstract
The conformation of DNA, but not of RNA, is determined by water activity. If salts or organic polar solvents are added to an aqueous solution of double helical RNA or DNA, the water activity changes and water molecules are withdrawn from the outer hydration shell. This has almost no influence on the molecular structure of RNA which under all conditions maintains its A-type conformation. It transforms only to a comparable A′-RNA with 12 instead of 11 nucleotides per double helix turn if the salt concentration is raised beyond a certain level ([522, 751, 848 – 850], Fig. 24.1).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1994 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Jeffrey, G.A., Saenger, W. (1994). Hydration of Nucleic Acids. In: Hydrogen Bonding in Biological Structures. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-85135-3_24
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-85135-3_24
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-57903-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-85135-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive