Assignment of non-exchangeable base proton and H1' resonances of a deoxyoctanucleoside heptaphosphate d(G-G-C*-C*-G-G-C-C) by using the nuclear Overhauser effect.

The resonances of the non-exchangeable base protons and 1' protons of the octamer d(G-G-C*-C*-G-G-C-C), C* = m5dC, have been assigned by means of NOE difference NMR spectroscopy at 500 MHz. From the measured J1'2' and J1'2" it follows that the octamer at low temperature prefers to adopt a B-DNA double-helical conformation in solution, however, some residual conformational freedom is detected at the 3' terminus. From the chemical shift versus temperature profiles it is concluded that no major conformational change occurs below 60-65 degrees C where the duplex formation for residues (2) to (6) is essentially completed under the conditions used.