Event

B-FORM DNA: ain’t what it used to be! or Improved understanding of the forces holding the complementary strands together

  • Wed 3 Apr 19

    11:00 - 12:00

  • Colchester Campus

    5S.4.19

  • Event speaker

    Professor Colyn Crane-Robinson (University of Portsmouth)

  • Event type

    Lectures, talks and seminars

  • Event organiser

    Life Sciences, School of

  • Contact details

    Dr Patrick Varga Weisz
    01206 872318

Abstract 

The current thermodynamic description of B-form DNA stability is seriously in error in two critical aspects. 1) The enthalpy and entropy of unfolding are shown to be temperature dependent quantities. 2) The greater stabilizing effect of CG pairs does not come from their extra H-bond but from their lower entropy of melting.

A consequence of the new findings is that melting temperature calculations and secondary structure predictions need to use methods quite different from those currently employed.

Speaker

Professor Colyn Crane-Robinson is an Emeritus Professor of the University of Portsmouth.