By means of combined calorimetric and dynamic light-scattering measurements, we have investigated the conformational behavior of DNA chains after thermal melting in the presence of a cationic surfactant at different concentrations, up to a surfactant-to-phosphate group molar ratio close to unity. Both the specific heat capacity, C P ex, and the hydrodynamic radius R of the DNA chains provide support for the existence of two structural arrangements with different thermal stabilities, coexisting in the bulk solution. Although a component remains an elongated unfolded DNA chain originated in the thermal denaturation, the second component, consisting of DNA-surfactant complexes, assumes a compact structure with an average size of about 80 nm, whose thermal denaturation occurs at temperatures higher than 100 degrees C.
Calorimetric and dynamic light-scattering investigation of cationic surfactant-DNA complexes
2006
Abstract
By means of combined calorimetric and dynamic light-scattering measurements, we have investigated the conformational behavior of DNA chains after thermal melting in the presence of a cationic surfactant at different concentrations, up to a surfactant-to-phosphate group molar ratio close to unity. Both the specific heat capacity, C P ex, and the hydrodynamic radius R of the DNA chains provide support for the existence of two structural arrangements with different thermal stabilities, coexisting in the bulk solution. Although a component remains an elongated unfolded DNA chain originated in the thermal denaturation, the second component, consisting of DNA-surfactant complexes, assumes a compact structure with an average size of about 80 nm, whose thermal denaturation occurs at temperatures higher than 100 degrees C.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
