Conformational transitions in polyelectrolyte adsorption.
The mole fraction X of nucleic acid chromophores, adsorbed on cationic and anionic exchange chromatography paper disks, was calculated [O.L. Hörer and A. Grigorescu, Rev. Roum. Med. Virol., 43 (1992) 33] in terms of the standard Debye screening length D (in the 0.01 to 1.2 M ionic strength range), using data from MLSEA (multiple light scattering enhanced absorption) measurements. In contrast to the cases of mononucleotides or double-stranded and relatively rigid DNA structures, highly polymerized and single-stranded RNA shows sigmoidal-shaped X curves, suggesting that polymer adsorption may be regarded as a conformational transition from a three-dimensional statistical coil to a two-dimensional one.
Hörer
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'Stefan S. Nicolau' Institute of Virology, Department of Computer Assisted Research, 285 Sos. Mihai Bravu, R-79650 Bucharest, Romania.
Enache
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