Stretching of homopolymeric RNA reveals single-stranded helices and base-stacking.
We have found strong supporting evidence for the helical structures of single-stranded nucleic acids by stretching individual molecules of polyadenylic acid [poly(A)] and polycytidylic acid [poly(C)]. Analyzing the force versus extension data using a two-state elastic model in which random-coil domains alternate with rigid helical domains allows one to extract the thermodynamic and structural properties. In addition, it also yields moderate to low cooperativity of the helix-coil transition for poly(A) and poly(C), respectively.
Seol
Yeonee
Y
Department of Physics, University of Arizona, Arizona 85721, USA.
Skinner
Gary M
GM
Visscher
Koen
K
Buhot
Arnaud
A
Halperin
Avraham
A
D004548:Elasticity; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011061:Poly A / Q000737:chemistry*; D011066:Poly C / Q000737:chemistry*; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics
D011061:Poly A; D011066:Poly C; D012313:RNA