Stacking self-association of pyrimidine nucleosides and of cytosines: effects of methylation and thiolation.

Stacking self-association equilibria in aqueous solutions of m3uridine, m34,2',3',5'uridine, 2'-deoxyuridine, m13,4,4cytosine, m14,4,4,5cytosine, s2cytidine and s4thymidine were studied at various temperatures by vapour-pressure osmometry. Equilibrium constants Kst's were computed on the assumption of the isodesmic model of self-association. Enthalpies of association were also obtained from the temperature dependence of Kst according to the van't Hoff equation. Analysis of the equilibrium and thermodynamic parameters demonstrated involvement of hydrophobic interactions in the stabilization of complexes of tetramethyluridine. Dipole-induced dipole interactions seem to predominate in the formation of s2C, s4T and of both dimethylaminocytosine complexes.