title: Circular dichroism and conformational polymorphism of DNA.
abstract: Here we review studies that provided important information about conformational properties of DNA using circular dichroic (CD) spectroscopy. The conformational properties include the B-family of structures, A-form, Z-form, guanine quadruplexes, cytosine quadruplexes, triplexes and other less characterized structures. CD spectroscopy is extremely sensitive and relatively inexpensive. This fast and simple method can be used at low- as well as high-DNA concentrations and with short- as well as long-DNA molecules. The samples can easily be titrated with various agents to cause conformational isomerizations of DNA. The course of detected CD spectral changes makes possible to distinguish between gradual changes within a single DNA conformation and cooperative isomerizations between discrete structural states. It enables measuring kinetics of the appearance of particular conformers and determination of their thermodynamic parameters. In careful hands, CD spectroscopy is a valuable tool for mapping conformational properties of particular DNA molecules. Due to its numerous advantages, CD spectroscopy significantly participated in all basic conformational findings on DNA.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics, vvi Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic. kypr@ibp.cz
authors.forename: Jaroslav
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kypr
authors.forename: Iva
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kejnovská
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Renciuk
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vorlícková
mesh_terms: D002942:Circular Dichroism; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D044704:DNA, A-Form / Q000737:chemistry; D043542:DNA, Z-Form / Q000737:chemistry; D054856:G-Quadruplexes; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation
chemical_list: D044704:DNA, A-Form; D043542:DNA, Z-Form; C051802:triplex DNA; D004247:DNA