B,Z conformations and mechanism of the Z-B-coil transitions of the self-complementary deoxy-hexanucleotide d(C-G-m5C-G-C-G) by 1H-NMR and CD spectroscopy.

The helical structures of d(C-G-m5C-G-C-G) were studied in aqueous solution at various salt concentrations and temperatures by CD and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. At room temperature only the B form is observed in 0.1 M NaCl whereas the B and Z forms are simultaneously present in 1.8 M NaCl. At high salt concentration (4 M NaCl) the Z form is largely predominant (greater than 95%). The Z form proton resonances were assigned by using the polarisation transfer method (between B and Z at 1.8 M NaCl) and by proton-proton decoupling (at high salt concentration). The Z-B-Coil transitions were studied as a function of temperature with the 1.8 M NaCl solution. At high temperature (95 degrees C) only the coil form (S) is present. Below 55 degrees C the coil proportion is negligible, and the B-Z exchange is slow. The disappearance of the coil gives rise at first to the B form and on lowering the temperature the Z proportion increases to the detriment of the B form. Proton linewidth, relaxation and polarisation transfer studies confirm the conclusion in the previous report on d(m5C-G-C-G-m5C-G) (Tran-Dinh et al Biochemistry 1984 in the press) that Z exchanges only with B whereas the latter also exchanges with S,Z in equilibrium B in equilibrium S. The present data show that even at high salt concentration where only the Z form of d(C-G-m5C-G-C-G) is observed the Z-S transition also passes through the B form as an intermediate stage. The B-Z transition takes place when the Watson-Crick hydrogen bonds are firmly maintained and is greatly favoured when there are three hydrogen bonds between the base-pairs.