The crystal structure of d(CCCCGGGG): a new A-form variant with an extended backbone conformation

The crystal structure of d(CCCCGGGG) has been determined at a resolution of 2.25 A. The oligomers crystallize as A-DNA duplexes occupying crystallographic two-fold axes. The backbone conformation is, in general, similar to that observed in previously reported crystal structures of A-DNA fragments, except for the central linkage, where it adopts an extended structure resulting from all trans conformation at the P-O5'-C5'-C4' bonds. This type of conformation facilitates interstrand stacking between the guanines at the C-G site. The local helix twist at this step is very small (25 degrees) compared to an overall average of 33.5 degrees. The unique structure of the C-G base-pair step, namely the extended backbone and the distinct stacking geometry, may be an important feature in the recognition mechanism between double-stranded DNA molecules and restriction endonucleases such as Msp I, which cuts the sequence CCGG very specifically with a rate unaffected by neighboring base pairs.