Sequence dependence of DNA structure in solution.

Sequence-dependent structural variations in DNA can influence its binding by ligands and proteins. However, relatively little is known about sequence-structure relationship for arbitrary DNA sequences. The 1H two-dimensional NOESY data presented here for ten oligonucleotide duplexes show pronounced sequence-dependent changes in at least two types of internucleotide distances commonly used in sequential connectivity assignments, namely the H-6/H-8 to preceding (5') H-1' distance (S1) and the H-6/H-8 to preceding (5') H-2'' distance (S2). On the basis of these two measured distances, all dinucleotide steps can be divided into four different groups: Y-R, R-Y, R-R and Y-Y, where R is purine and Y is pyrimidine. These data suggest some rules for the variation in these distances along DNA duplexes. Correlations between these distances and helical parameters of DNA are discussed in comparison to well-resolved X-ray structures of B-type DNA.