Metal ion titrations of several DNA oligonucleotides, 10 dodecamers and one decamer have been monitored by 1H NMR spectroscopy in order to elucidate metal ion binding patterns. Also, the effects of paramagnetic impurities on resonance linewidths and NOESY cross-peak intensities have been reversed by EDTA back-titration experiments. 1H 1D NMR spectra were recorded after successive additions of aliquots of different metal salts to oligonucleotide samples. Paramagnetic manganese(II) salts were used in most cases, but a few samples were also titrated with diamagnetic zinc(II). From this study, we conclude that there exists a sequence-selective metal ion binding pattern. The metal ions bind predominantly to 5'-G in the contexts 5'-GC and 5'-GA. The order of preference seems to be GG > or = GA > GT > > GC. No evidence of metal ion binding to 5'-G in 5'-GC steps or to non-G residues was found. The H6 or H8 resonances on preceding (5'-) bases were affected by the adjacent bound paramagnetic metal ion, but no effect was observed on the protons of the succeeding (3'-) base. The metal binding site in the duplexes is most likely at G-N7, as manifested by the pronounced paramagnetic line broadening or diamagnetic shift of the G-H8 signal. This sequence selectivity may be qualitatively explained by a sequence-dependent variation in the molecular electrostatic potentials of guanine residues (MEPs) along the oligonucleotide chain.