Solvent interactions stabilising nucleic acid conformers

The transition of oligonucleotides from the B to the A conformation has been studied by the use of simple geometric calculations aimed at finding possible hydration sites which could stabilize these conformations. The method involves the classification of equally spaced grid points, surrounding the oligonucleotide, into groups depending on whether a water molecule, so placed, could form single, multiple or nil contacts to polar oligonucleotide atoms. The occurrence of the multiple, and therefore bridging, sites is more extensive for the 'A' than the 'B' conformation. Thus, more general evidence is presented in support of the economy of hydration hypothesis in which phosphate groups, in the low humidity 'A' form, have been seen to be bridged by single water molecules. Similar calculations for the 'Z' DNA conformation show a different preference for multiple bridging sites.