title: N1...N3 hydrogen bonds of A:U base pairs of RNA are stronger than those of A:T base pairs of DNA.
abstract: Trans-hydrogen-bond deuterium isotope effects of Watson-Crick A:U and A:T base pairs of 10 homologous RNA and DNA duplexes are compared. The isotope effect at 13C2 of adenosine residues due to deuterium/protium substitution at the imino H3 site, 2hDelta13C2, is larger in RNA than in DNA. The virtually consistent larger isotope effects in RNA suggest that the N1...N3 hydrogen bonds of A:U base pairs of RNA are stronger than those of the A:T base pairs of DNA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-2128, USA.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vakonakis
authors.forename: Andy C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: LiWang
mesh_terms: D020029:Base Pairing; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA