Studies on tautomeric forms of Guanine-Cytosine base pairs of nucleic acids and their interactions with water molecules

J Biomol Struct Dyn. 2008 Jun;25(6):733-46. doi: 10.1080/07391102.2008.10507217.

Abstract

The relative stabilities of Guanine-Cytosine (G-C) DNA bare base pairs, its tautomeric forms and microhydrated base pairs are theoretically investigated with a focus on the keto-enol tautomerism as well as on the cis-trans isomerism using ab initio and density functional theory methods. The stabilities of the G-C bare base pairs, its tautomeric forms and microhydrated base pairs were affected by various factors including keto-enol tautomerization, cis-trans enol isomerization, and steric hindrance between the base pair and water molecules. The Atoms in Molecules theory (AIM) is employed to investigate H-bonding patterns both in bare and microhydrated base pairs. From the above topological results, an excellent linear correlation is shown between electron density [rho(r)], and its Laplacian [V2rho(r)] at the bond critical points. NBO analysis has been carried out to study the charge transfer between proton acceptor to the antibonding orbital of the X-H bond both in bare and microhydrated base pairs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Pairing
  • Cytosine / chemistry*
  • Guanine / chemistry*
  • Isomerism
  • Models, Molecular
  • Water / chemistry*

Substances

  • Water
  • Guanine
  • Cytosine