title: Binding citrate/DNA in presence of divalent cations. Potential mimicry of acidic peptides/DNA interactions.
abstract: Citric acid whose structure is comparable to that of small acidic peptides, can bind to DNA in the presence of divalent cations (Cu2+, Fe2+, Zn2+, Mg2+). Citrate-DNA interaction occurs also in a cell homogenate and in this experimental model too requires the presence of natural divalent cations. In fact the addition of 2 mM EDTA to cell homogenate strongly decreases the DNA-citrate binding. The results demonstrate that divalent cations can act as bridges between two acidic molecules and that citric acid can mimic the structure of acidic peptides.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Cellulare e Molecolare, Università di Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Calzuola
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Gianfranceschi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marsili
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020029:Base Pairing; D002412:Cations; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D008274:Magnesium / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D012694:Serine / Q000737:chemistry; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002412:Cations; D010455:Peptides; D019343:Citric Acid; D012694:Serine; D003300:Copper; D004247:DNA; D004492:Edetic Acid; D007501:Iron; D008274:Magnesium; D015032:Zinc