title: Hairpin structures in synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides: sequence effects on the duplex-to-hairpin transition.
abstract: We have synthesized and examined a number of fully and partly self-complementary palindromic oligodeoxynucleotides for their ability to assume in solution a unimolecular hairpin structure. The main results obtained by a combined optical and electrophoresis investigation show that: (i) DNA folding needs not be driven by mismatched base pairings over the dyad; fully self-complementary palindromic duplexes, comprising regular (CG)n DNA fragments, possess a considerable intrinsic propensity to make intramolecular base pairings; (ii) The duplex-hairpin interconversion is, in general, a slow process independent of the length and base composition of the palindrome; (iii) The palindromic sequences energetically least favored to form hairpin structures consist of C:G base pairs around the dyad axis and of T:A blocks in the arms of the inverted repeat; (IV) The base composition of the stem strongly influences the hairpin thermal stability. For instance, the substitution of one C:G with one A:T base pair in the stem helix of d(CG)7 diminishes the stability of the hairpin by 9 degrees C. It is found that the stability of the stem helix, in hairpins of defined sequence and with the same loop length, decreases in the order alternating-CG greater than homo-CG greater than AC(GT) greater than alternating-AT, i.e. as in polynucleotides. The thermodynamic parameters for the hairpin-coil transition are reported.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Xodo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Manzini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quadrifoglio
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van der Marel
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: van Boom
mesh_terms: D001482:Base Composition; D001483:Base Sequence; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006358:Hot Temperature; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D004247:DNA