Parallel double stranded helices and the tertiary structure of nucleic acids.

Thermal denaturation of four oligonucleotides, viz. 3'-d(AT)5pO(CH2)6Opd(AT)5-3'(par(AT], 3'-d(AT)5pO(CH2)6Opd(AT)5-5'(anti(AT],3'-d(A)10pO(CH2) 6Op(T)10-3'(par(A-T], and 3'-d(A)10pO(CH2)6Opd(T)10-5' (anti(A-T], was studied in 0.01 M phosphate buffer, pH 7, in the presence of 0.

Parallel stranded DNA with AT base pairing.

The concentration and temperature dependences of the UV and CD spectra of the oligonucleotide 3'-d(ApTpApTpApTpApTpApTp)-O(CH2)6O-5'-d(pApTpApTpApTpApT pApT) (eicosamer) in aqueous solution at pH 7 in the presence of 0.5 M NaCl were studied. At less than 10(-6) M, the eicosamer was shown to form in solution a hairpin with parallel orientation of chains (parallel hairpin).