title: Surface charge patterns as recognition signals in nucleic acid molecules.
abstract: Surface charge patterns of nucleic acid or protein molecules are caused by weak charges and are ultimately dependent upon the nucleotide or amino acid sequence, respectively. It is proposed that these charge patterns play a decisive role in nucleic acid-protein interactions. Although charge patterns are sequence related, they cannot be read off the sequence directly as yet. Methods to determine these charge patterns are presently not available. Thus, one or several unidentified codes may still be hidden in DNA sequences. Surface charge patterns will be subject to alterations by externally applied electric and/or magnetic fields. The biological role of changes in electro-magnetic fields in the environment of biological systems has scarcely been explored. Such effects may be of particular significance in neurobiology.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D004247:DNA