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Publication Abstract from PubMed

In the presence of cobalt, rhodium or iridium hexammine salts, the RNA/DNA hybrid r-GCUUCGGC-d(X)U (with X = F, Cl or Br) crystallizes as a double-stranded helix with four consecutive G-U and C-U mismatches. The deoxy chloro- and bromouracil derivatives are isomorphous, space group C2, unit-cell parameters a = 53.80, b = 19.40, c = 50.31 A, beta = 109.9 degrees, with the same infinite helix arrangement in the packing along the c axis with one extra DNA halogenouracil base included in the stacking. However, the fluorouracil derivative, with unit-cell parameters a = 53.75, b = 19.40, c = 45.84 A, beta = 105.7 degrees, is not isomorphous. The corresponding extra DNA base d(F)U of the second strand is ejected out of the helical stack, leading to a shortening of the c axis. The specific destabilization of the fluorouracil for the duplex building is analyzed in terms of the polarization effect of the halogen atom attached to the 3'-terminal base that modulates its interactions.

Destabilizing effect of a fluorouracil extra base in a hybrid RNA duplex compared with bromo and chloro analogues.,Cruse W, Saludjian P, Neuman A, Prange T Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 2001 Nov;57(Pt 11):1609-13. Epub 2001, Oct 25. PMID:11679725^[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.