Skip to main content
Log in

On the thermal stability of DNA in solution of mixed solvents

  • Published:
Journal of Biological Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The study of the changes in UV absorbance of DNA solutions in water/dioxane and water/ethylene glycol mixture at different concentrations shows that the thermal denaturation of DNA is sensitive to the electrical permittivity of the media and the water content. At relative low concentrations of co-solvent the dominant feature is the electrical permittivity. When water content is lower than a critical value, the electrical permittivity is no longer the determinant of the denaturation temperature but the partial volume fraction of water. The critical water content is about 0.69 partial volume fraction of water.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Marmur, J., Round, R. and Shildrjraut, C.L.: Denaturation and renaturation of deoxyribonucleic acid,Progress in Nucleic Acid Res. and Mol. Biol.: An Intl. Series, Vol. 1, Davidson, J.N., and Cohn, W.E., eds., Academic Press, New York, 1963, pp. 231–249

    Google Scholar 

  2. Lazurkin, Y.S., Frank-Kametski, M.D., and Trifonov, E.N.: Melting of DNA: Its study and application as a research method,Biopolymers 9 (1970), 1253–1306.

    Google Scholar 

  3. de Xammar Oro, J.R., and Grigera, J.R.: Influence of the electrical permittivity and counter ions content of the media on the thermal denaturation of DNA,Stud. Biophys. 120 (1987), 51–57.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Frisman, E.V., Sloniisky, S.V., and Veselkov, A.N.: Influence of solvent structure on the conformation of the native DNA molecule,Int. J. Quant. Chem. 16 (1979), 847–855.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Eagland, D.: The importance of the water and hydration interactions in determining the conformational stability of biomacromolecules in aqueous solution, in:Water, a Comprehensive Treatise, Felix Franks, ed., Vol. 4, Plenum, New York, 1978, pp. 335–362.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Cupane, A., Vitrano, E., San Biago, P.L., Madonia, F., and Palma, U.: Thermal stability of poly (A) poly (U) complexes in H2O and D2O: isotropic effect on critical temperature and transition widths,Nucleic Acid Res. 8 (1980), 4283–4303.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

de Xammar Oro, J.R., Grigera, J.R. On the thermal stability of DNA in solution of mixed solvents. J Biol Phys 21, 151–154 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00712343

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00712343

Key words

Navigation