Does DNA absorb microwave energy?

The microwave absorption of chicken erythrocytes and E. coli DNA aqueous solutions was studied in the 9–12-GHz frequency range by the method of variable thickness. At the same frequencies, fragments of sonicated erythrocyte DNA (average size about 500 base pairs) and of E. coli DNA treated with DNase (most of which were 800–2800 base pairs) were investigated. In neither case was any effect of enhanced microwave absorption by DNA observed. It was shown that an excess absorption of DNA solution falls within the 1% experimental error range, provided the conductivity contribution of 1% MgCl₂, required for DNase action, to the microwave absorption is taken into account.     

Microwave absorption of DNA between 8 and 12 GHz

The microwave absorption of aqueous solutions of DNA extracted from E. coli has been studied between 8 and 12 GHz by the use of an optical heterodyne technique. By measuring optically the temperature rise produced in an absorbing sample by pulsed microwave radiation, unambiguous, direct measurement of the microwave absorption is possible. Our results show that E. coli DNA absorbs microwaves in the 8–12-GHz region substantially more efficiently than water, which is itself an extremely efficient absorber. The observed absorption is featureless and decreases slightly with increasing frequency. These observations are consistent with an explanation involving direct absorption by longitudinal acoustic modes of the double helix.     

The effect of heating by microwave irradiation and by conventional heating on the aldehyde concentration in aqueous glutaraldehyde solutions

Summary The effect of short time heating of aqueous solutions of glutaraldehyde (GA) on relative aldehyde concentration was determined using spectrophotometric analysis. Because free monomeric GA absorbs U. V. light at 280 nm, whereas the alpha, beta polymeric forms absorb at 235 nm, the purity of GA solutions can be expressed as the ratio: A 235 nm/A 280 nm (purification index, P.I.).Heating of 4 ml aliquots of 0.85% distilled aqueous GA solution resulted in an increase of the absorption at 280 nm which is correlated positively with temperature. No increase of absorption at 235 nm was found when solutions were kept at 40°C for several hours. The increase of absorption at 280 nm is caused by a rapid decyclization of hemiacetals producing an increase in free aldehyde concentration.No major differences in absorption were found between the solutions heated by microwave and by conventional heating. However, because microwave irradiation is known to produce an homogeneous rise in temperature, especially in bulky samples, it is expected that the results of fixation procedures will improve by the combined effect of higher temperature and enhanced diffusion rates of the fixating species.     

Microwave absorption spectroscopy of DNA

By utilizing a novel approach to microwave spectrometry, we have measured the absolute absorption spectrum of plasmid DNA (pUC8.c2), in buffered aqueous solution, from 5 to 20 GHz. Our technique does not suffer from the same experimental difficulties that plague other methods. We observe no absorption resonances in this frequency range, but we do see broadband differences, between DNA and pure buffer, that are attributable to changes in the ionic conductivity of the solutions. These results constitute the first verification, by a totally different technique, of the absence of resonances in the microwave absorption spectrum of DNA, and the first data obtained by any technique in the 10–20-GHz band. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Investigation of plant water relations with divided root systems of soybean

Soybean (Glycine max) was grown with root systems divided between adjacent cartons containing nutrient solution or soil. By adding polyethylene glycol (Carbowax 6000) to reduce solute potential or withholding water to reduce soil matric potential until water absorption from that side stopped, the root xylem water potential could be ascertained. Carbowax appeared to increase root resistance. An imbalance technique is described with which soil moisture contents of adjacent containers were followed individually. The patterns of water absorption obtained following repeated additions of water or addition of CaCl₂ solutions to one side indicated soil hydraulic conductivity became limiting at a soil water potential of −2 bars. A high concentration of CaCl₂ added to one side greatly reduced transpiration and produced severe plant injury. With part of the root system developing in nutrient solution, growth of roots into and water absorption from soil were slow; however, reduction of solute potential in the solution side greatly increased water absorption from the soil side.     

Microwave dielectric absorption of DNA in aqueous solution

The dielectric properties of aqueous solutions of DNA were measured at frequencies ranging from 0.1 to 12 GHz. The results are analyzed using the Maxwell mixture theory and yield a value for the hydration of the DNA of about 0.4 g/g, which is in the range observed in other investigations. No evidence was found for an additional absorption effect at microwave frequencies, which has been predicted to occur in certain DNA analogs due to the vibrational excitation of the double helix by the applied microwave field.     

Comparative effect of microwaves and boiling on the denaturation of DNA

The effect of heat and microwave denaturation of small volumes of double-stranded plasmid DNA has been compared. Samples of intact plasmid DNA had plasmid DNA linearized by digestion with EcoRI were conventionally denatured in a boiling water bath or denatured by 2450 MHz of microwave energy for 0-300 s. Heat denaturation for periods longer than 120 s caused breakdown of linearized plasmid DNA; however, microwave denaturation for 10-300 s caused no apparent degradation of linearized DNA. Breakdown of DNA forms II and III was noted in plasmid DNA subjected to 300 s of either heat or microwave denaturation but breakdown of forms II and III occurred more quickly with heat than with microwave treatment. Microwave treatment was also found to be better than heat to denature 32P-labeled DNA probes subsequently used to detect homologous DNA samples immobilized on nitrocellulose filters. A microwave-treated 32P-labeled DNA probe was able to hybridize to DNA samples 20 times more dilute than a heat-treated 32P-labeled DNA probe. Depending on the form of DNA to be analyzed, these results indicate that small volumes of DNA solutions and radiolabeled DNA probes can be effectively denatured in a conventional microwave oven.     

On a possible mechanism of the effect of microwave radiation on biological macromolecules

A model that describes the dissociation of a hydrogen bond in water clusters when irradiated by an electromagnetic field in the microwave range is proposed. The model is also applicable for the case of the rupture of the covalent bond of the water molecule in a cluster. If the energy absorption occurs at the interface of water and polymer clusters (e.g., DNA and chitosan), degradation of the polymer chain is possible.     

Microwave effect on diffusion: a possible mechanism for non-thermal effect

Abstract

In this study, we assume that microwave radiation affects hydrogen bonding between dipolar water molecules and through that diffusion in water at constant temperature. The experimental study was performed on the setup of two identical reservoirs filled with pure water and 0.9% NaCl solution and connected by a thin tube. Alterations of NaCl concentration in the reservoir initially filled with pure water were measured using the resistance of the solution as an indicator. The applied 450?MHz continuous-wave microwave field had the maximal specific absorption rate of 0.4?W/kg on the connecting tube. The standard deviation of water temperature in the setup was 0.02?°C during an experiment. Our experimental data demonstrated that microwave exposure makes faster the process of diffusion in water. The time required for reduction of initial resistance of the solution by 10% was 1.7 times shorter with microwave. This result is consistent with the proposed mechanism of low-level microwave effect: microwave radiation, rotating dipolar water molecules, causes high-frequency alterations of hydrogen bonds between water molecules, thereby affects its viscosity and makes faster diffusion.     

Microwave-field-driven acoustic modes in DNA.

The direct coupling of a microwave field to selected DNA molecules is demonstrated using standard dielectrometry. The absorption is resonant with a typical lifetime of 300 ps. Such a long lifetime is unexpected for DNA in aqueous solution at room temperature. Resonant absorption at fundamental and harmonic frequencies for both supercoiled circular and linear DNA agrees with an acoustic mode model. Our associated acoustic velocities for linear DNA are very close to the acoustic velocity of the longitudinal acoustic mode independently observed on DNA fibers using Brillouin spectroscopy. The difference in acoustic velocities for supercoiled circular and linear DNA is discussed in terms of solvent shielding of the nonbonded potentials in DNA.     

Vibration of DNA polymer in viscous solvent

The problem of viscous damping of vibrating DNA polymer in solution is solved in the low-amplitude limit for all acoustic branches of the spectrum. The acoustic spectrum covers the microwave region of frequencies. Analytic solutions are obtained for a model describing the DNA polymer as a smooth circular cylinder. Numerical solutions are presented for a model describing the DNA polymer as a twisted cylinder of elliptical cross section. The amount of mass loading is determined for both models and the damped spectrum for the mass-loaded oscillator is calculated. The viscous damping is found to be a strong function of frequency, singular at very low frequencies for all modes except the torsional mode of the circular cylinder. All acoustic modes are overdamped, implying that the observation of well-defined resonances in DNA requires either highly structured water on the molecular level or very dry material.     

Molecular-weight dependence of the low-frequency dielectric properties of aqueous solutions of gel-fractionated DNA

Combined three- and four-terminal AC bridge measurements have been made at frequencies from 10 Hz to 100 KHz on samples of DNA with different molecular weight in aqueous solution under varying conditions of DNA concentrations and added salt. A method is described for the separation of large quantities of DNA fractionated according to size. A complicated pattern of dependence of the specific dielectric increment on concentration is found, and the difficulties of comparing the results from sample to sample are discussed. The dielectric properties of the fractionated samples of DNA in aqueous solution are reported for solutions sufficiently dilute that specific dielectric increment is independent of concentration. The specific dielectric increment of the solutions (with concentration measured in moles of DNA molecules/liter) is found to increase as the square of the molecular weight. The results are compared with results of polyelectrolyte theories which deal explicitly with counterion fluctuations and interactions. The frequency dependence of the dispersion is much broader than for simple Debye relaxation. It is satisfactorily fitted by the empirical Cole–Cole circular are function and the breadth of the dispersion is found to be, if anything, less for the fractionated samples than for native DNA in solution.     

THE ABSORPTION SPECTRUM OF VISUAL PURPLE

The absorption spectra of visual purple solutions extracted by various means were measured with a sensitive photoelectric spectrophotometer and compared with the classical visual purple absorption spectrum. Hardening the retinas in alum before extraction yielded visual purple solutions of much higher light transmission in the blue and violet, probably because of the removal of light-dispersing substances. Re-extraction indicated that visual purple is more soluble in the extractive than are the other colored retinal components. However, the concentration of the extractive did not affect the color purity of the extraction but did influence the keeping power. This suggests a chemical combination between the extractive and visual purple. The pH of the extractive affected the color purity of the resulting solution. Over the pH range from 5.5 to 10.0, the visual purple color purity was greatest at the low pH. Temperature during extraction was also effective, the color purity being greater the higher the temperature, up to 40°C. Drying and subsequent re-dissolving of visual purple solutions extracted with digitalin freed the solution of some protein impurities and increased its keeping power. Dialysis against distilled water seemed to precipitate visual purple from solution irreversibly. None of the treatments described improved the symmetry of the unbleached visual purple absorption spectrum sufficiently for it to resemble the classical absorption spectrum. Therefore it is very likely that the classical absorption spectrum is that of the light-sensitive group only and that the absorption spectra of our purest unbleached visual purple solutions represent the molecule as a whole.     

Urea effect on Cu(2+)-induced DNA structural transitions in solution

Cu(2+) ion interaction with DNA in aqueous solutions containing urea (0-5 M) was studied by IR spectroscopy. It was shown that upon the Cu(2+) ion binding DNA transition into a compact form occurs. This transition is of positive cooperativity. We suppose that the mechanism of Cu(2+)-induced DNA compaction in solutions containing urea is not completely electrostatic. Urea addition to the DNA solution decreases the Cu(2+) ion concentration required to induce DNA compaction. As the urea content in solution rises, the binding constant of Cu(2+) ions interacting with DNA increases, going through the maximum in the case of 2 M solution; further increase of the urea content in solutions leads to decrease of the binding constant. DNA transition into the compact form under the Cu(2+) ion action is determined not only by the effects of the solution dielectric permeability but by the solvation effects; when changes of the dielectric permeability are small the solvation effects may prevail. Urea addition to the DNA solution also decreases cooperativity of the DNA compaction process. Perhaps, cooperativity of the DNA transition into the compact state depends on the ordered spatial structure of water adjacent to the macromolecule and decreases on the structure destruction.     

Why structured water causes sharp absorption by DNA at microwave frequencies

Aqueous solutions of oligopolymer DNA have been observed by G.S. Edwards, C.C. Davis, M.L. Swicord and J.D. Saffer, Phys. Rev. Lett. 53, 1284 (1984) to show structured absorption of microwave energy in the region of several gigahertz, characteristic of an ordered series of compressional normal mode vibrations propagating on the polymer chain. Although hydrodynamic coupling of such vibrations to the surrounding solvent would preclude the existence of sharp resonances, the molecular nature of the solvent in the near neighborhood of the polymer and- paradoxically- the strong water/polymer interactions provide a means for effectively decoupling the polymer motion from the dissipation of the liquid. Recent measurements of DNA/water relaxation times allow estimating numerical values in a parameterization of the decoupling effect. The resulting predicted frequency dependence explains many of the smaller features of Edwards' experiment as well as the overall anomaly. A simple model gives a surprisingly complete account of the features of the data using only values determined from other experiments.     

Temperature and concentration behavior of anomalous microwave resonances in DNA

We have calculated the expected absorption of microwave radiation in the gigaHertz frequency range by fixed-length DNA polymer molecules dissolved in saline solution. While the effects of counterions and solvent dynamics have been accounted for in detail, the features of the absorption are completely dominated by the interaction between the charged polymer and the so-called first hydration layer, that is, the nearest layer of solvent water molecules not actually bonded to the polymer. The relevant parameters of the interaction are the strength of the water-to-polymer coupling and the average persistence time of the individual water-to-polymer bonds. These are presumably hydrogen bonds to the oxygen atoms of the backbone phosphate structure. Using a given parameterization we can obtain the structured absorption corresponding to compressional wave phonon excitations on the polymer, "organ pipe" modes, such as have been claimed to be seen by Edwards, Davis, Swicord, and Saffer. While further studies have not confirmed these resonances, at some frequency and hydration these modes must become visible because of the high relaxation time measured by Lindsay, the existence of the resonances in relatively dry fibers and films of DNA, and the existence of underdamped modes in the ir spectrum of DNA in solution. We have examined the effects of varying salt concentration and the system temperature.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Theory of the anomalous resonant absorption of DNA at microwave frequencies

Aqueous solutions of oligopolymer DNA have been observed by Edwards, Davis, Swicord & Saffer to show structured absorption of microwave energy in the region of several gigahertz characteristic of an ordered series of compressional normal mode vibrations propagating on the polymer chain. Hydrodynamic coupling of such vibrations to the surrounding solvent would preclude the existence of sharp resonances. The inclusion of electromagnetic interactions with surrounding counter ions yields a richer space of possibilities for complex behavior of the combined system. A well defined resonant absorption peak appears when the molecular motion and the nearby solvent motion are even slightly decoupled. The microwave electric fields in the vicinity of the molecule provide a mechanism for such a decoupling not present for the case of electrically neutral solvent.     

Loss of transforming activity of plasmid DNA (pBR322) in E. coli caused by singlet molecular oxygen

Plasmid DNA pBR322 in aqueous solution was exposed to singlet molecular oxygen (1O2) generated by microwave discharge. DNA damage was detected as loss of transforming activity of pBR322 in E. coli (CMK) dependent on the time of exposure. DNA damage was effectively decreased by singlet-oxygen quenchers such as sodium azide and methionine. Replacement of water in the incubation buffer by D2O led to an increase in DNA damage. 9,10-Bis(2-ethylene)anthracene disulfate was used as a chemical trap for 1O2 quantitation by HPLC analysis of the endoperoxide formed.     

离子吸收分布与几种荒漠植物适应性的关系

用压力室灌流挤压法结合原子吸收分光光度计测定了胡杨、沙枣、柽柳、梭梭和花棒等5种荒漠优势植物组织以及细胞内和质外体溶液中K+、Na+含量,并用TPS-1型光合蒸腾测定系统和露点微伏压计测定了叶片(同化枝)的蒸腾速率和组织渗透势,以分析荒漠植物离子吸收特点与其适应性的关系。结果表明:5种植物叶片(同化枝)中K+含量差异较小,但Na+含量却有极显著差异,其中梭梭Na+含量最高、胡杨和柽柳次之、花棒和沙枣相对较低,且梭梭和柽柳的根系和组织细胞膜对Na+也具有更高的透性。另外,实验结果还显示组织Na+含量与组织渗透势和蒸腾失水率均呈显著负相关,即Na+的吸收、积累可能在渗透调节和减少水分散失中具有重要作用。由此可见,梭梭和柽柳能够通过大量吸收和积累无机离子来降低渗透势、增强吸水力,同时减少蒸腾失水,具有很强的荒漠环境适应能力;而胡杨蒸腾耗水量较大、花棒和沙枣生理吸水的动力不足,与梭梭和柽柳相比,其荒漠环境适应能力相对较弱。     

Effect of ethanol on structural transitions of DNA and polyphosphates under Ca2+ ions action in mixed solutions

In the present work using the IR spectroscopy method the effect of ethanol on structural transitions of DNA and polyphosphates under the action of Ca2+ ions in mixed solutions containing ethanol (0-25 vol.%) was studied. It was shown that, on its interaction with Ca2+ ions, in aqueous and mixed solutions DNA becomes transformed into compact form. With the increase of concentration of ethanol the degree of Ca2+-induced DNA compactisation rises. It was found that, in mixed solutions containing ethanol, Ca2+-induced DNA compactisation depends not only on the solution's dielectric permeability but also on the solution structure. On stabilisation of the water structure in the presence of low ethanol concentrations a stabilisation of the DNA macromolecule occurs that leads to the increase of the Ca2+ ion concentration necessary for DNA compactisation. Comparison of the effects of ethanol on Ca2+-induced structural transitions in DNA and polyphosphates in mixed solvents permits to suppose that at alcohol concentrations in solution resulting in disruption of the water spatial structure, some peculiarities are observed in the behavior of those molecules whose hydrophobic interactions are essential.