[Reaction between polycytidylic acid and guanosine-5'-triphosphate at neural pH]

The effect of changing the solution acidity in the interval of pH 7--8 on complex formation between polycytidilyc acid (polyC) and guanosine-5'-triphosphate (GTP) has been studied by the equilibrium dialysis and hydrogen ion titration methods. It is shown that in 1 M NaCl at 3 degrees C the complex stoichiometry undergoes changes in a narrow pH interval being equal to 2 poly C: 1 GTP at pH 7,0--7,3 and to 1 poly C:1 GTP at pH 7,6--8,0. In the presence of GTP the apparent pK of poly C protonation increases by 1,4 PK units and becomes equal to 7,1 in 1 M NaCl at 3 degrees C. Thus, the protonated poly-C takes part in the three-stranded poly-C--GTP complex formation. According to Hill's model of cooperative linear adsorption it is shown that the cooperativity of the three-stranded complex formation is greater than of the two-stranded one. The possibility of drastic changes in the structure of biopolymers with small pH changes in neutral region we have found for the poly-C--GTP system as an example may play an essential role in matrix synthesis and other intracellular processes.