Conformation affinity of cross-linked polyacrylic gels towards nucleobases, nucleosides and nucleotides

By radical copolymerisation of monofunctional acrylic derivatives with 1,4-tetramethylene dimethacrylate, cross-linked polyacrylic gels which show a high affinity towards nucleic acid residues have been synthesised. Using these polyacrlic gels, mixtures of nucleobases, nucleosides and nucleotides can be chromatographically separated to differing extents, in some cases quantitatively. The elution of nucleobases and nucleosides from the gel in the order Cyt, Gua, Thy, Ade (or dC, dG, dT, dA and C, G, U, A, respectively) shows that Ade (dA, A) is retarded to the highest degree from the gel matrix, Cyt (dC, C) to the lowest degree. Further, the results of the separations prove that the affinity of the polyacrylic gels is much stronger towards deoxyribonucleosides than towards ribonucleosides and nucleobases. The affinity of the polyacrylic gels towards nucleobases and nucleosides depends mainly upon their tertiary structure whereas the functional side groups of the polyacrylate matrix do not contribute significantly to the interaction of the gels.