Conformation study with polarography

The analysis obtained with classical polarographic methods corresponds roughly with those reached by the pulse-polarographic technique, but the sensitivity is much lower. The difference between the polarographic behaviour of single-stranded and double-helical form of polynucleotides makes possible the study of the conformation of nucleic acids [81,82,108-113]. Polarography can be utilized also in the study of structural changes of polynucleotides under the influence of the temperature [112,114,115] or irradiation [116]. The photodynamic destabilisation of DNA has been described [117]. 

An extensive literature describes the polarography of nucleic acids. These studies have been basically concerned with the effects of the interfacial electric field on the conformational structure of nucleic acids and this subject is treated in Chapter 3 of this volume. 

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