Competitive Influence of Alkali Metals in the Ion Atmosphere on Nucleic Acid Duplex Stability

1Citations
Citations of this article
5Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

This article is free to access.

Abstract

The nonspecific atmosphere around nucleic acids, often termed the ion atmosphere, encompasses a collection of weak ion-nucleic acid interactions. Although nonspecific, the ion atmosphere has been shown to influence nucleic acid folding and structural stability. Studies investigating the composition of the ion atmosphere have shown competitive occupancy of the atmosphere between metal ions in the same solution. Many studies have investigated single ion effects on nucleic acid secondary structure stability; however, no comprehensive studies have investigated how the competitive occupancy of mixed ions in the ion atmosphere influences nucleic acid secondary structure stability. Here, six oligonucleotides were optically melted in buffers containing molar quantities, or mixtures, of either XCl (X = Li, K, Rb, or Cs) or NaCl. A correction factor was developed to better predict RNA duplex stability in solutions containing mixed XCl/NaCl. For solutions containing a 1:1 mixture of XCl/NaCl, one alkali metal chloride contributed more to duplex stability than the other. Overall, there was a 54% improvement in predictive capabilities with the correction factor compared with the standard 1.0 M NaCl nearest-neighbor models. This correction factor can be used in models to better predict RNA secondary structure in solutions containing mixed XCl/NaCl.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Arteaga, S. J., Dolenz, B. J., & Znosko, B. M. (2024). Competitive Influence of Alkali Metals in the Ion Atmosphere on Nucleic Acid Duplex Stability. ACS Omega, 9(1), 1287–1297. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.3c07563

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free