title: Thermodynamic and computational studies of DNA triple helices containing a nucleotide or a non-nucleotide linker in the third strand.
abstract: In this paper we report a thermodynamic characterisation of stability and melting behaviour of four different triple helices at pH 6.0. The target duplex consists of 16 base pairs in alternate sequence of the type 5'-(purine)(m)(pyrimidine)(m)-3'. The four triplexes are formed by targeting the 16-mer duplex with an all pyrimidine 16-mer or 15-mer or 14-mer third strand. The 16-mer oligonucleotide contains a 3'-3' phosphodiester junction and corresponding triplex was named 16-mer P. The 14-mer oligonucleotide contains a non-nucleotide linker, the 1,2,3 propanetriol residue and the corresponding triplex was named 14-mer PT. For the 15-mer oligonucleotide both junctions were alternatively used and the relative triplexes were named 15-mer P and 15-mer PT, respectively. These linkers introduce the appropriate polarity inversion and let the third strand switch from one oligopurine strand of the duplex to the other. Thermal denaturation profiles indicate the initial loss of the third strand followed by the dissociation of the target duplex. Transition enthalpies, entropies and free energies were derived from differential scanning calorimetric measurements. The comparison of Gibbs energies reveals that a more stable triplex is obtained when in the third strand there is the lack of one nucleotide in the junction region and a propanetriol residue as linker was used. The thermodynamic data were discussed in light of molecular mechanics and dynamics calculations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University Federico II of Naples, Via Cintia, Monte Sant' Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy. giancola@chemistry.unina.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giancola
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Petraccone
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pieri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barone
mesh_terms: D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D009841:Oligonucleotides; C051802:triplex DNA; D004247:DNA