title: Nucleic acid solvation: from outside to insight.
abstract: Nucleic acids are polyanionic molecules that were historically considered to be solely surrounded by a shell of water molecules and a neutralizing cloud of monovalent and divalent cations. In this respect, recent experimental and theoretical reports demonstrate that water molecules within complex nucleic acid structures can display very long residency times, and assist drug binding and catalytic reactions. Finally, anions can also bind to these polyanionic systems. Many of these recent insights are provided by state-of-the-art molecular dynamics simulations of nucleic acid systems, which will be described together with relevant methodological issues.
authors.affiliation: Architecture et réactivité de l'ARN, Université Louis Pasteur de Strasbourg, CNRS, IBMC, 15 rue René Descartes, 67084 Strasbourg, France. p.auffinger@ibmc.u-strasbg.fr
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Auffinger
authors.forename: Yaser
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hashem
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012995:Solubility; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009696:Nucleic Acids; D012997:Solvents; D014867:Water