中国物理B ›› 2014, Vol. 23 ›› Issue (2): 20702-020702.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/23/2/020702

• GENERAL • 上一篇    下一篇

Formation and dissociation of protonated cytosine–cytosine base pairs in i-motifs by ab initio quantum chemical calculations

张小虎a, 黎明b, 王延颋a, 欧阳钟灿a   

  1. a State Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China;
    b Department of Physical Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
  • 收稿日期:2013-09-22 修回日期:2013-10-17 出版日期:2013-12-12 发布日期:2013-12-12

Formation and dissociation of protonated cytosine–cytosine base pairs in i-motifs by ab initio quantum chemical calculations

Zhang Xiao-Hu (张小虎)a, Li Ming (黎明)b, Wang Yan-Ting (王延颋)a, Ouyang Zhong-Can (欧阳钟灿)a   

  1. a State Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China;
    b Department of Physical Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
  • Received:2013-09-22 Revised:2013-10-17 Online:2013-12-12 Published:2013-12-12
  • Contact: Wang Yan-Ting E-mail:wangyt@itp.ac.cn
  • About author:07.05.Tp; 87.15.A-; 87.15.-v

摘要: Formation and dissociation mechanisms of C–C+ base pairs in acidic and alkaline environments are investigated, employing ab initio quantum chemical calculations. Our calculations suggest that, in an acidic environment, a cytosine monomer is first protonated and then dimerized with an unprotonated cytosine monomer to form a C–C+ base pair; in an alkaline environment, a protonated cytosine dimer is first unprotonated and then dissociated into two cytosine monomers. In addition, the force for detaching a C–C+ base pair was found to be inversely proportional to the distance between the two cytosine monomers. These results provide a microscopic mechanism to qualitatively explain the experimentally observed reversible formation and dissociation of i-motifs.

关键词: ab initio quantum chemical calculation, i-motif, protonated cytosine–, cytosine base pair

Abstract: Formation and dissociation mechanisms of C–C+ base pairs in acidic and alkaline environments are investigated, employing ab initio quantum chemical calculations. Our calculations suggest that, in an acidic environment, a cytosine monomer is first protonated and then dimerized with an unprotonated cytosine monomer to form a C–C+ base pair; in an alkaline environment, a protonated cytosine dimer is first unprotonated and then dissociated into two cytosine monomers. In addition, the force for detaching a C–C+ base pair was found to be inversely proportional to the distance between the two cytosine monomers. These results provide a microscopic mechanism to qualitatively explain the experimentally observed reversible formation and dissociation of i-motifs.

Key words: ab initio quantum chemical calculation, i-motif, protonated cytosine–cytosine base pair

中图分类号:  (Computer modeling and simulation)

  • 07.05.Tp
87.15.A- (Theory, modeling, and computer simulation) 87.15.-v (Biomolecules: structure and physical properties)