The Three-Dimensional Structure of 3′-Deoxycytidine

Abstract

Structural analysis of 3′-deoxycytidine and comparison with 2′-deoxynucleosides reveals no noticeable effect on the conformation of the molecule due to the lack of 3′-oxygen atom. There are two crystallographically independent molecules and both adopt the anti conformation with C3′-endo sugar puckering. A ‘head-to-tail’ packing of the molecules along the b axis results in a virtual ‘2′-5′ polycytidylic acid chain.