Polarity nucleic acids

Lipids differ from the other classes of naturally occurring biomolecules (carbohy drates proteins and nucleic acids) in that they are more soluble m nonpolar to weakly polar solvents (diethyl ether hexane dichloromethane) than they are m water They include a variety of structural types a collection of which is introduced m this chapter... 

The macromolecules of cells are built of units—amino acids in proteins, nucleotides in nucleic acids, and carbohydrates in polysaccharides—that have structural polarity. That is, these molecules are not symmetrical, and so they can be thought of as having a head and a tail. Polymerization of these units to form macromolecules occurs by head-to-tail linear connections. Because of this, the polymer also has a head and a tail, and hence, the macromolecule has a sense or direction to its structure (Figure 1.9). 

Biomolecules interact with one another through molecular surfaces that are structurally complementary. How can various proteins interact with molecules as different as simple ions, hydrophobic lipids, polar but uncharged carbohydrates, and even nucleic acids ... 

These sorbents may be used either for selective fixation of biological molecules, which must be isolated and purified, or for selective retention of contaminants. Selective fixation of biopolymers may be easily attained by regulation of eluent polarity on the basis of reversed-phase chromatography methods. Effective isolation of different nucleic acids (RNA, DNA-plasmid) was carried out [115, 116]. Adsorption of nucleosides, nucleotides, tRN A and DNA was investigated. It was shown that nucleosides and nucleotides were reversibly adsorbed on... 

In order to further extend the utility of fluorescence methods the use of time-resolution methods, fluorescence polarization, and laser techniques should be explored. The addition of other dyes with enhanced fluorescence properties on binding and increased selectivity to various types of nucleic acids will be necessary to further develop more useful analytical methods. 

Alpert, A.J. (1990). Hydrophilic-interaction chromatography for the separation of peptides, nucleic acids and other polar compounds. J. Chromatogr. A 499, 177-196. 

The growing interest for the identification and characterization of polar and large compounds caused the development and the introduction of new ionization techniques, such as electrospray ionization (ESI)[4], and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI),[5] and their more recent improvements, thus establishing new MS based approaches for studying large molecules, polymers and biopolymers, such as proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids. 

Also on the nucleic acid field, it has been shown95 that the distribution pattern of NH2/NH3 + /OH groups in natural aminoglycosides could indirectly influence their RNA binding properties and therefore their antibiotic functions. Indeed, the number and location of these polar groups is essential to modulate the conformation and dynamics of the glycoside with the concomitant implication for the RNA recognition process. 

Recently, electron-mediated, scalar couplings which are active between magnetic nuclei on both sides of the hydrogen bridge have been discovered in nucleic acids [28-41], proteins [42-54] and their complexes (Tabs. 9.1-9.3) [54—56]. These couplings are closely related to similar inter- and intramolecular couplings across H-bonds in smaller chemical compounds [57-60]. It is well established [31, 58, 61-74] that such trans H-bond scalar couplings follow the same electron-mediated polarization mechanism as any covalent... 

Fluorescence is also a powerful tool for investigating the structure and dynamics of matter or living systems at a molecular or supramolecular level. Polymers, solutions of surfactants, solid surfaces, biological membranes, proteins, nucleic acids and living cells are well-known examples of systems in which estimates of local parameters such as polarity, fluidity, order, molecular mobility and electrical potential is possible by means of fluorescent molecules playing the role of probes. The latter can be intrinsic or introduced on purpose. The high sensitivity of fluo-rimetric methods in conjunction with the specificity of the response of probes to their microenvironment contribute towards the success of this approach. Another factor is the ability of probes to provide information on dynamics of fast phenomena and/or the structural parameters of the system under study. 

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