Polynucleotide analogues. IX. Polyxanthylic acid.

Abstract

Abstract Unlike polyguanylic acid and polyinosinic acid, the homopolymer of xanthylic acid does not complex with polycytidylic acid or poly 5-bromocytidylic acid over a very wide range of pH and salt concentrations. However, polyxanthylic acid readily forms complexes with polyadenylic, poly 3-isoadenylic, poly N1-methyladenylic, poly N6-methyladenylic, poly N6-hydroxyethyladenylic and poly N6-hydroxymethyladenylic acid, and also with polyuridylic and polyinosinic acid. Some physical properties of polyxanthylic acid (which like polyguanylic and polyinosinic acid possesses a secondary structure) and of its various complexes are described and the mutational effects of deamination of guanine residues discussed.