title: Control of stability and structure of nucleic acids using cosolutes.
abstract: The stabilities, structures, and functions of nucleic acids are responsive to surrounding conditions. Living cells contain biomolecules, including nucleic acids, proteins, polysaccharides, and other soluble and insoluble low-molecular weight components, that occupy a significant fraction of the cellular volume (up to 40%), resulting in a highly crowded intracellular environment. We have proven that conditions that mimic features of this intra-cellular environment alter the physical properties affect the stability, structure, and function of nucleic acids. The ability to control structure of nucleic acids by mimicking intra-cellular conditions will be useful in nanotechnology applications of nucleic acids. This paper describes methods that can be used to analyze quantitatively the intra-cellular environment effects caused by cosolutes on nucleic acid structures and to regulate properties of nucleic acids using cosolutes.
authors.affiliation: Frontier Institute for Biomolecular Engineering Research (FIBER), Konan University, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Hisae
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tateishi-Karimta
authors.affiliation: Frontier Institute for Biomolecular Engineering Research (FIBER), Konan University, Kobe, Japan; Faculty of Frontiers of Innovative Research in Science and Technology (FIRST), Konan University, Kobe, Japan. Electronic address: sugimoto@konan-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001483:Base Sequence; D002412:Cations; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D036103:Nanotechnology; D012996:Solutions; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D002412:Cations; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D012996:Solutions
keywords: Cosolute; Nucleic acid; Regulation; Thermodynamic stability