Abstract

The three dimensional structure of DNA as influenced by base sequence, metal ions, chemical carcinogens and other agents will be studied by vacuum-ultraviolet circular dichroism (VUV-CD) and time resolved fluorescence. The electronic states and transitions of the DNA bases, understanding of which is crucial to the interpretation of CD spectra, will be studied using vacuum-ultraviolet magnetic circular dichroism (VUV-MCD) and fluorescence polarization spectroscopy. A major goal is understanding why VUV-CD is a better indicator of the helical structure of, and more sensitive to the hydrogen bonding between DNA strands than is conventional, longer wavelength CD. The VUV-CD, VUV-MCD, fluorescence polarization and time-resolved fluorescence experiments will be performed at the National Synchrotron Light Source.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM035662-04
Application #
3288655
Study Section
Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry A Study Section (BBCA)
Project Start
1986-01-01
Project End
1990-12-31
Budget Start
1989-01-01
Budget End
1989-12-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1989
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
Associated University-Brookhaven National Lab
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Upton
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
11973

  Publications

Polewski, K; Zinger, D; Trunk, J et al. (1994) Fluorescence of matrix isolated guanine and 7-methylguanine. J Photochem Photobiol B 24:169-77
Johnson, K H; Gray, D M; Sutherland, J C (1991) Vacuum UV CD spectra of homopolymer duplexes and triplexes containing A.T or A.U base pairs. Nucleic Acids Res 19:2275-80
Johnson, K H; Gray, D M; Morris, P A et al. (1990) A.U and G.C base pairs in synthetic RNAS have characteristic vacuum UV CD bands. Biopolymers 29:325-33
Gray, D M; Johnson, K H; Vaughan, M R et al. (1990) The vacuum UV CD bands of repeating DNA sequences are dependent on sequence and conformation. Biopolymers 29:317-23
Kim, S K; Geacintov, N E; Zinger, D et al. (1989) Fluorescence spectral characteristics and fluorescence decay profiles of covalent polycyclic aromatic carcinogen-DNA adducts. Basic Life Sci 51:187-205
Sutherland, J C; Lin, B; Monteleone, D C et al. (1987) Electronic imaging system for direct and rapid quantitation of fluorescence from electrophoretic gels: application to ethidium bromide-stained DNA. Anal Biochem 163:446-57
Sutherland, J C; Monteleone, D C; Mugavero, J H et al. (1987) Unidirectional pulsed-field electrophoresis of single- and double-stranded DNA in agarose gels: analytical expressions relating mobility and molecular length and their application in the measurement of strand breaks. Anal Biochem 162:511-20
Sutherland, J C; Lin, B H; Mugavero, J et al. (1986) Vacuum ultraviolet circular dichroism of double stranded nucleic acids. Photochem Photobiol 44:295-301