Salt dependent premelting base pair opening probabilities of B and Z DNA Poly [d(G-C)] and significance for the B-Z transition.
We calculate room temperature thermal fluctuational base pair opening probabilities of B and Z DNA Poly[d(G-C)] at various salt concentrations and discuss the significance of thermal fluctuation in facilitating base pair disruption during B to Z transition. Our calculated base pair opening probability of the B DNA at lower salt concentrations and the probability of the Z DNA at high salt concentrations are in agreement with observations. The salt dependence of the probabilities indicates a B to Z transition at a salt concentration close to the observed concentration.
Department of Physics, Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1396 USA.
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Chen
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Prohofsky