title: The structure of an oligo(dA).oligo(dT) tract and its biological implications.
abstract: Poly(dA).poly(dT) has unusual properties in that it cannot associate into nucleosomes and short, phased runs of it cause DNA bending. The crystal structure of a B-type DNA dodecamer containing a homopolymeric run of six A.T base pairs shows that this region possesses special structural features, including a system of bifurcated hydrogen bonds, which explains some of the properties of this simple homopolymer.
authors: Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
authors: H C
authors: HC
authors: Nelson
authors: J T
authors: JT
authors: Finch
authors: B F
authors: BF
authors: Luisi
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Klug
mesh_terms: D001482:Base Composition; D001483:Base Sequence; D003460:Crystallization; D004247:DNA; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D011067:Poly dA-dT; D011089:Polydeoxyribonucleotides; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D011089:Polydeoxyribonucleotides; C027903:oligo (dT); C030570:oligodeoxyadenylic acid; D011067:Poly dA-dT; D004247:DNA