Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 14, 2026

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Role of co-solute in biomolecular stability: glucose, urea and the water structure
1Instituto de Física de Líquidos y Sistemas Biológicos, IFLYSIB (CONICET-UNLP-CIC), Argentina ; Departamentos de Ciencias Biológicas y Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, c.c. 565, 1900 La Plata, Argentina.
Abstract:
We have studied the action of urea and glucose on the stability of DNAand micelles. We measured the melting temperature of aqueous solutionsof DNA with urea or glucose as a co-solute; we have also measured thechanges in the critical micelle concentrations (cmc) of Sodium DodecylSulfate and Triton X-100 by addition of urea and glucose. Ourexperimental results show that glucose increases the melting temperature ofDNA and decreases the cmc, while urea acts in the contrary direction. The effects of urea and glucose on the stability of DNA and micelles canbe explained by the weakening and enhancement of hydrophobicinteractions, respectively. These effects on hydrophobic interactions arediscussed in this paper.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
RNA Stability
Entropy and Solvation
Noncovalent Attractions in Biomolecules
Four types of noncovalent interactions are hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, ionic bonds, and hydrophobic interactions.
Hydrogen bonding results from the electrostatic attraction of a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a strong-electronegative atom like oxygen,...
Noncovalent Attractions in Biomolecules
Four types of noncovalent interactions are hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, ionic bonds, and hydrophobic interactions.
Hydrogen bonding results from the electrostatic attraction of a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a strong-electronegative atom like oxygen,...
Solvents
A...
Globular Proteins
Globular proteins serve many important physiological functions, such as acting as enzymes, cellular messengers, and molecular transporters. These roles often require the proteins to be soluble in the aqueous...

