CH4034 DNA structure and Drug-DNA complexes

Introduction. Survey of properties of nucleic acids. Primary structure of DNA and RNA.

Spectroscopy. Ultraviolet, circular dichroism, infra-red and NMR spectroscopies. Evidence for double-strand formation, base stacking, sugar pucker and nucleotide conformation, Watson-Crick base-pairing.

Structures of A-DNA, B-DNA, Z-DNA. X-ray methods; fibres and oligonucleotides. Main features such as pitch, tilt, major and minor groove nucleotide conformation etc.

Binding to DNA. Metal ions and cis-platin; groove binders (e.g. netropsin), triple helix-forming oligonucleotides; intercalators. Application of spectroscopic, viscosity and electrophoretic methods.