Nucleic acids Macromolecules with hydrolysis

Very mild acid, or dilute acid at or below room temperature, has little effect on nucleic acids. Indeed, dilute acids (e.g., trichloroacetic, HCIO4, HC1) at 0 to 25°C are routinely used to precipitate (isolate) nucleic acids and other polar macromolecules. Somewhat stronger acidic conditions (prolonged exposure to dilute acid or dilute acid at increased temperature or acid strength) cause depurination, i.e., acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of purine N-glycosides. Thus, 15 min of treatment with 1 N HC1 at 100°C removes most of the purines from DNA and RNA. Much harsher acidic conditions (several hours at 100°C or more concentrated acid) are required to remove pyrimidine N-glycosides. Some limited... 

For homogeneous sample counting the radioactive material must be soluble in the organic scintillation solvent (toluene, xylene, dioxane). Unfortunately most inorganic salts, hydrophilic substances, macromolecules (such as proteins, nucleic acid or polysaccharides) or biological tissues (muscle, bone, liver, brain) and body fluids (blood, plasma, urine, spinal fluid) are incompatible with the solubility characteristics of the liquid scintillant. To overcome these problems various useful methods for tissue preparation have been developed such as solubilisation by hydrolysis, wet oxidation, combustion. 

Nucleic acid nu- kle-ik- [fr. their occurrence in cell nuclei] (1892) n. A family of macromolecules, of molecular masses ranging upward from 25,000, found in the chromosomes, nucleoli, mitochondria, and cytoplasm of all cells, and in viruses in complexes with proteins, they are called nu-cleoproteins. On hydrolysis they yield purines, pyrimidines, phosphoric acid, and a pentose, either D-ribose or D-deoxyribose from the last, the nucleic acid derive their more specific names, ribronucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid. Nuclear acids are liner (i.e., unbranched) chains of nucleotides in which the 5 -phosphoric group of each one is esterified with the 3 -hydroxyl of the adjoining nucleotide. Black JG (2002) Microbiology, 5th edn. John Wiley and Sons Inc., New York. 

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