Non-planar structure of nitrous bases and non-coplanarity of Watson-Crick pairs

We discuss the non-planar structural stability of the NH2-group in formamide, cytosine, adenine, guanine and aniline molecules. Based on the microwave data available on small amino derivatives and on the results of PCILO conformation study it is shown that the slope of the amino group HNH plane to the molecular plane in nitrous bases should be close to 40 degrees. One of the main consequences of the non-planar structure of bases is a comparatively large (approximately equal to 15 degrees) propeller twisting of purine and pyrimidine planes in the complementary adenine-thymine and guanine-cytosine pairs. It is concluded that the non-coplanarity of single Watson-Crick base pairs is their intrinsic property. The specificity of hydrogen bonding in pairs along with stacking is believed to be the original cause of their peculiar packing in crystals and in DNA and RNA structures.