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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

CD Spectroscopy to Study DNA-Protein Interactions
Published on: February 10, 2022
NMR spectroscopic study of a DNA duplex with mercury-mediated T-T base pairs
Yoshiyuki Tanaka1, Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Shuji Oda
1Laboratory of Molecular Transformation, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Aobayama, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan. tanaka@mail.pahrm.tokoku.ac.jp
Abstract:
Recently, we reported that T-T mismatches can specifically recognize Hg(II) (T-Hg(II)-T pair formation). In order to understand the properties of the T-Hg(II)-T pair, we recorded NMR spectra for a DNA duplex, d(CGCGTTGTCC).d(GGACTTCGCG), with two successive T-T mismatches (Hg (II)-binding sites). We assigned 1H resonances for mercury-free and di-mercurated duplexes, and performed titration experiments with Hg(II) by using 1D 1H NMR spectra. Because of the above mentioned assignments, we could confirm the existence of mono-mercurated species, because individual components gave independent NMR signals in the titration spectra.
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