title: BI-BII transitions in B-DNA.
abstract: Molecular modelling is used to study the conformational and energetic aspects of BI-BII transitions within the backbone of a B-DNA dodecamer d(CATGACGTCATG) whose fine structure has previously been determined by molecular modelling combined with NMR spectroscopy. It is shown that while the dodecamer under investigation does not contain any BII junctions, the central CpG step can most easily undergo the transition. More generally, it is also found that the base sequence and hence the backbone geometry of a DNA segment, strongly influences both the conformational impact of the transition, the associated energy barrier and the stability of the resulting BII state.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, CNRS URA77, Paris, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Piazzola
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lavery
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D004247:DNA