Salt dependent premelting base pair opening probabilities of B and Z DNA Poly [d(G-C)] and significance for the B-Z transition.

We calculate room temperature thermal fluctuational base pair opening probabilities of B and Z DNA Poly[d(G-C)] at various salt concentrations and discuss the significance of thermal fluctuation in facilitating base pair disruption during B to Z transition. Our calculated base pair opening probability of the B DNA at lower salt concentrations and the probability of the Z DNA at high salt concentrations are in agreement with observations. The salt dependence of the probabilities indicates a B to Z transition at a salt concentration close to the observed concentration.