title: Sodium and Potassium Interactions with Nucleic Acids.
abstract: Metal ions are essential cofactors for the structure and functions of nucleic acids. Yet, the early discovery in the 70s of the crucial role of Mg(2+) in stabilizing tRNA structures has occulted for a long time the importance of monovalent cations. Renewed interest in these ions was brought in the late 90s by the discovery of specific potassium metal ions in the core of a group I intron. Their importance in nucleic acid folding and catalytic activity is now well established. However, detection of K(+) and Na(+) ions is notoriously problematic and the question about their specificity is recurrent. Here we review the different methods that can be used to detect K(+) and Na(+) ions in nucleic acid structures such as X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance or molecular dynamics simulations. We also discuss specific versus non-specific binding to different structures through various examples.
authors: Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Université de Strasbourg, IBMC, CNRS, 15 rue René Descartes, F-67084, Strasbourg, France. p.auffinger@ibmc-cnrs.unistra.fr.
authors: Pascal
authors: P
authors: Auffinger
authors: Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Université de Strasbourg, IBMC, CNRS, 15 rue René Descartes, F-67084, Strasbourg, France. l.dascenzo@ibmc-cnrs.unistra.fr.
authors: Luigi
authors: L
authors: D'Ascenzo
authors: Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Université de Strasbourg, IBMC, CNRS, 15 rue René Descartes, F-67084, Strasbourg, France. e.ennifar@ibmc-cnrs.unistra.fr.
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Ennifar
mesh_terms: D002586:Cesium / Q000737:chemistry; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011188:Potassium / Q000737:chemistry*; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D012413:Rubidium / Q000737:chemistry; D012964:Sodium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002586:Cesium; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA; D012964:Sodium; D012413:Rubidium; D011188:Potassium
keywords: DNA; Hydration; K+; Metal binding; Molecular dynamics simulations; Monovalent ions; Na+ · NMR; Potassium; RNA; Sodium; Solvation; X-ray crystallography