Ultraviolet absorption and optical rotatory dispersion studies of deoxyribonucleic acid and nucleohistone.

Abstract

This report concerns the ultraviolet absorption and optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) of DNA and of nucleotides down to 185 mμ. An absorption band (y) at about 195 mμ occurs for all these compounds. Similar studies have been made on histones and nucleohistone. These indicate a strong absorption below 200 mμ due to protein. Consequently, if any native DNA is associated with some amount (2 - 12%) of protein (e.g., histones), the molecular absorption of DNA in the said region becomes masked, and no clear y-maximum due to DNA occurs in the absorption spectrum. The absorption of DNA in the y-band region (ca. 190 mμ) seems to be decreased as a result of DNA-protein interaction. No significant change is observed in the absorption region of DNA at longer wavelengths (250-290 mμ). The y-peak of DNA appears at about 190 mμ on complete removal of proteins. This peak is sharper than the conventional one (x) at 260 mμ and is hyperchromic on denaturation, and involves multiple Cotton effects to any degrees similar to that observed at the second peak (260 mμ). The absorption (also ORD) features of nucleohistone at the x and y wavelengths do not provide similar information (e.g., denaturation artefacts) regarding the structure of the nucleohistone contained DNA which is apparently distinct from the structures of native and partially denatured (denaturation 10%) DNA. The weaker π-π* transition (190 mμ) in the DNA bases is very susceptible to nucleoprotein interaction. This result has been used to explain the influence of nucleoprotein interaction on the configuration of DNA in nucleohistone