A compact form of double-stranded RNA in solutions containing poly(ethyleneglycol)

Molecules of single-stranded ribosomal RNA and double-stranded replicative form of phage f2 RNA (dsRNA) adopt a compact form in solutions, containing sufficiently high concentrations of salt (NaCl) and polymer (PEG). However, only in the cases of native dsRNA molecules the compact particles are characterized by a regular internal structure, which accounts for the appearance of an intense positive band in CD spectra. Heating or acidification of PEG-containing solutions of dsRNA leads to the disappearance of the intense positive CD band, which results from the "destruction" of the regular internal structure of compact particles. Comparison of properties of DNA and dsRNA compact particles formed in PEG-containing water-salt solutions suggests the existence of similar mechanisms of compactization of double-stranded polynucleotides.