Chapter title |
Sodium and Potassium Interactions with Nucleic Acids
|
---|---|
Chapter number | 6 |
Book title |
The Alkali Metal Ions: Their Role for Life
|
Published in |
Metal ions in life sciences, January 2016
|
DOI | 10.1007/978-3-319-21756-7_6 |
Pubmed ID | |
Book ISBNs |
978-3-31-921755-0, 978-3-31-921756-7
|
Authors |
Pascal Auffinger, Luigi D’Ascenzo, Eric Ennifar, Auffinger, Pascal, D’Ascenzo, Luigi, Ennifar, Eric |
Abstract |
Metal ions are essential cofactors for the structure and functions of nucleic acids. Yet, the early discovery in the 70s of the crucial role of Mg(2+) in stabilizing tRNA structures has occulted for a long time the importance of monovalent cations. Renewed interest in these ions was brought in the late 90s by the discovery of specific potassium metal ions in the core of a group I intron. Their importance in nucleic acid folding and catalytic activity is now well established. However, detection of K(+) and Na(+) ions is notoriously problematic and the question about their specificity is recurrent. Here we review the different methods that can be used to detect K(+) and Na(+) ions in nucleic acid structures such as X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance or molecular dynamics simulations. We also discuss specific versus non-specific binding to different structures through various examples. |
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