Search

Effect of Zn(2+) ions on the conformation of single-stranded polynucleotides polyU and polyC in a wide temperature range at pH 7 was studied by differential UV spectroscopy and by thermal denaturation. The atoms coordinating Zn(2+) ions were determined (O4 and N3 in polyU and N3 in polyC). A three-dimensional phase diagram and its two-dimensional components were constructed for a polyC-Zn(2+) system. The phase diagram revealed a region in which ordered single-stranded structures, stabilized by Zn(2+)-mediated cross-links involving N3 atom of cytosine, are formed. The phase diagram also demonstrated that the behavior of the polyC-Zn(2+) system is similar to the effect of retrograde condensation observed in some binary solutions of simple liquids. A dependence of Zn(2+)-polyC binding constant on the metal ion concentration was obtained. The reason why zinc-induced transition of the sequences with adenine-uracil (AU) base pairs from A-form geometry to a metallized m-form requires higher pH compared to the sequences comprised of guanine-cytosine (GC) base pairs is explained. This information can be useful for the development of possible technological applications based on m-DNA.

Effect of Zn(2+) ions on the conformation of polyA in cacodilic buffer at pH 7 was investigated by differential UV spectroscopy (DUV) and by thermal denaturation. The shapes of the DUV spectra and melting curves suggest a transition of polyA into a more ordered "metallized", possibly double-helical conformation at Zn(2+) concentrations above 3×10(-5) M. A phase diagram of polyA complexes with Zn(2+) was constructed for the temperature range from 20 °C to 95 °C and Zn(2+) concentrations between 10(-5) M and 5×10(-4) M. It was found that the transition of a single strand into the "metallized" form is possible only if the length of the disordered single-stranded region becomes larger than a certain critical value, ranging between 98% and 78% as the metal concentration increases from 3×10(-5) to 5×10(-4) M., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Dependence of DNA metallization degree during B-DNA transition into the metallized (m) form on DNA concentration has been studied by visible and differential UV-spectroscopy in the presence of Zn(2+), Co(2+) and Ni(2+) ions in tetraborate buffer (pH 8.5) with and without ethidium bromide. Constants of Mt(2+) binding to double stranded DNA were calculated. The obtained binding constants corresponded to the formation of inter-strand metal bridges stabilizing m-form. Thermodynamic origin of higher efficiency of Zn(2+) ions in DNA metallization compared to Co(2+) and Ni(2+) was revealed. Increase of the DNA helix-coil transition temperature by up to 10°С upon formation of m-form in the presence of Zn(2+) ions was observed and rationalized. Furthermore, a strong cooperative decrease (up to 30°С) of the temperature of В→m transition induced by heating in the presence of Zn(2+) was found and its nature was explained., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Effect of Zn(2+) ions on DNA transition from B-form to a metallized form (m-DNA) in Tris and tetraborate buffers at pH 8.5 has been studied by visible and differential UV-spectroscopy and by thermal denaturation. The results have been compared to those obtained at pH 6.5 in cacodylate buffer. It was found that in alkaline solutions Zn(2+) ions induced a hypochromicity of the DNA absorption in the whole spectral range monitored, which was attributed to DNA transition from B- to the m-form. Complete metallization occurred only upon heating the DNA solutions containing more than ~2×10(-4) M of Zn(2+) ions. Phase diagrams of the DNA-zinc complexes at pH 6.5 and 8.5 have been obtained for the first time. The m-DNA form showed higher thermal stability compared to B-DNA., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Effect of Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Ni(2+) and Cd(2+) ions on parameters of DNA helix-coil transition in sodium cacodylate (pH 6.5), Tris (pH 8.5) and sodium tetraborate (pH 9.0) buffers have been studied by differential UV-visible spectroscopy and by thermal denaturation. Anomalous behavior of the melting temperature T(m) and the melting interval ΔT in the presence of MgCl(2) was observed in Tris, but not in cacodylate or tetraborate buffers. Changes in the buffer type and pH did not influence T(m) and ΔT dependence on Ca(2+) and Cd(2+) concentrations. Decrease of the T(m) and ΔT of DNA in the presence of Ni(2+) and Cd(2+) was caused by preferential ion interaction with N7 of guanine. This type of interaction was also found for Mg(2+) in Tris buffer. The anomalous decrease in the T(m) and ΔT values was connected to formation of complexes between metal ions and Tris molecules. Transition of DNA single-stranded regions into a compact form with the effective radius of the particles of 300±100 Å was induced by Mg(2+) ions in Tris buffer., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Acute thoracic aortic pathology is a relatively new term. The experience gained in treatment of thoracic aorta pathology has shown the importance of early diagnosis of the disease of this localization. Improved resolution of modern diagnostic medical equipment has made it possible to recognize early forms of aortic lesions and accordingly to optimize management of this cohort of patients. The present article is based on the review of the pertinent literature, summarizing the data on aetiology, pathophysiology, clinical patterns, and present-day therapeutic strategy employed in the three most frequently encountered forms of an acute aortic lesion, i. e., aortic dissection, aortic intramural haematoma, and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer of the aortic wall.

Hypothalamic hamartoma (HH) is malformation of the brain manifesting by paroxysmal disorders (gelastic seizures) and endocrine disorders (mostly precocious sexual development). Surgical resection of HH is associated with the risk of severe neurological and neuroendocrine complications. Alternative ways of treatment are being investigasted. Stereotactic radiosurgery is one of the leading techniques in treatment of pharmacoresistant seizures due to high effectiveness and low complication rate. Since 2005 till 2009 7 patients with HH were treated in Burdenko Moscow Neurosurgical Institute. Age of patients varied between 9 months and 20 years 9 mean - 8.5 years). In all cases the disease manifested by gelastic seizures with frequency differing between 2-3 per months and 17 per day. All patients received long-term combined anticonvulsant treatment (using valproates, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, topiramate) with temporary and insufficient effect or without any effect. In 4 patients frequency of seizures increased during anticonvulsant therapy. I patient had been operated (partial resection of HH) with temporary effect which consisted of decrease in frequency of seizures for 8 months; later frequency of paroxysms increased. Main indications to radiosurgical treatment included progressive course of disease, low effectiveness of anticonvulsant therapy and high risk of direct surgical treatment. 6 patients were treated using linear accelerator "Novalis" and 1 using "Cyber-knife". Treatment was performed under pharmacological sedation (midazolam, ketamine). Marginal dose was 11-18 Gy (mean 15.7 Gy). Volume of hamartomas was 0.3-3 cm3. Follow-up period varied between 3 and 50 months. Decreased frequency of seizures was observed in 100% of cases. Stereotactic radiosurgery is an effective and safe method of treatment for HH and may be considered as treatment of choice for pharmacoresistant seizures caused by HH.

Persistent or recurrent aortic dissection after successful surgical treatment of acute type I aortic dissection is well-known complication. Persistence of the false lumen in the arch or descending aorta can result in a fatal complication and has an undesirable impact on long term prognosis. Endovascular stenting has showed promising result for patients with type III aortic dissection. The role of stenting in management of complex persistent aortic dissection is not well established. In the article we reviewed our early result of combine surgical and endovascular treatment of persistent type I aortic dissection. In our series we did not have mortality. Analysis of early and long term postoperative period showed promising result.

The methods of UV (DUV) spectroscopy and thermal denaturation were used to study the effect of Cd2+ ions on the conformational equilibrium of three-stranded (A21, A2U) and single-stranded (poly U, poly A and poly I) polynucleotides in aqueous solutions containing 0.1 M Na+ (pH 7). An analysis of the form and intensities of DUV-spectra of poly A, poly I and A2I revealed the presence of two types of complexes: interaction with N7 of purines, resulting in the formation of macrochelates and binding to N1 of poly A and poly I. Cd2+ ions do not bind to heteroatoms of A2U nitrogen bases, and, therefore, the conformation of its structure remains unchanged up to a concentration of Cd2+ 0.01 M. A "critical" concentration (1.5x10(-4) M) of Cd2+ ions exists above which A2I transits cooperatively into a new helical conformation, which has a lower thermostability. It is supposed that, during the formation of metallized A2I, Cd2+ ions form bridges between the adenine and hypoxanthine of its homopolynucleotide circuits, being arranged inside the triple helix.

The effects of Mg2+ and Ni2+ ions on the absorption spectra of IMP, single-stranded poly I and three-stranded A2I in solutions with 0.1 M Na+ (pH 7) have been studied. In contrast to Mg2+ ions, the Ni2+ ions affect the absorption spectra of these polynucleotides and IMP. The concentration dependences of the intensity at the extrema in the differential UV spectra suggest that in the region of high Ni2+ concentrations ionic complexes with poly I and A2I are formed, which are characterized by the association constants K'''I = 2000 M(-1) and K'''A2I = 550 M(-1), respectively. The shape of the DUV spectra prompts the conclusion that these complexes are formed due to the inner-sphere interaction of Ni2+ ions with N7 of poly I and A2I presumably due to the outer-sphere Ni2+-O6 interaction. The formation of the complexes leads to destruction of A2I triplexes. The dependences of the melting temperature (T(m)) of A2I on Mg2+ and Ni2+ concentrations have been measured. The thermal stability is observed to increase at the ionic contents up to 0.01 M Mg2+ and only to 2x10(-4) M Ni2+. At higher contents of Ni2+ ions, T(m) lowers and the cooperativity of A2I melting decreases continuously. In all the cases the melting process is the A2I-->A+I+I (3-->1) transition. According to the "ligand" theory, these effects are generated by the energy-advantageous Ni2+ binding to single-stranded poly I (K'''A2I < K'''I) and by the greater number of binding sites which appears during the 3-->1 transition and is entropy-advantageous.

Interaction of Mg2+, Ca2+, Cu2+ ions with the four-stranded poly(I) was studied using differential UV and visible spectroscopies. It was shown that, up to concentrations of approximately 0.1 M, Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions do not bind to heteroatoms of hypoxanthine of the four-stranded poly(I). Cu2+ ions interact with N7 (and/or N1) and O6 (through the water molecule of the hydrate shell of the ion). The latter seems to induce the enolization of hypoxanthine the deprotonation of N1, and, as a result, the transition of the four-stranded helix to single-stranded coils. Single-stranded chains form compact particles with an effective radius of about 100 A.

Differential UV spectra of DNA and its monomers that were induced by Ag+ ions were measured, and the effect of ions on the parameters of the helix-coil transition was studied. The data obtained confirm the existence of "strong" and "weak" modes of binding of Ag+ to DNA. The earlier proposed proton transfer from N1G to N3C, which is determined by the interaction of Ag+ with N7G (a "strong" complex), follows immediately from the shape of the differential UV spectra. The positive cooperativity of the binding of Ag+ to DNA upon the formation of a "weak" complex is due to the cooperativity of the transition of DNA to a new double-helical conformation. A model of this conformation is proposed which suggests the formation of Hougsteen GC and AT pairs.

The interaction of Ag+ ions with ribonucleotides of canonical bases in aqueous solution was studied by differential UV spectroscopy. Atoms coordinating silver ions (N7, O6 of guanosine 5'-monophosphate, N3, O2 of cytidine 5'-monophosphate, N7, N1, N3 of adenosine 5'-monophosphate and N3 of uridine 5'-monophosphate) and the binding constants characterizing the formation of appropriate complexes were determined. The differences in the relative affinity of Ag+ ions for the atoms of nucleotide bases correlate with the potential on them.

Complex formation of Cd2+ ions with 2'-deoxy-5'-phosphates of canonical bases and their riboanalogues in water solution is studied by the method of differential UV-spectroscopy. It is stated that the atoms coordinating Cd2+ in complexes are N7 of dGMP and GMP, dAMP and AMP, N1 of adenine derivatives, N3 of dCMP. No interaction with base heteroatoms of UMP and dTMP is found. O2' present in the structure of the sugar ring has a weak influence on the Cd2+ ion binding to purine nucleotides. It manifests itself strongly in the complexes with cytosine derivatives: cadmium does not interact with N3 of CMP and poly-C practically. In the last case O2 is a centre coordinating Cd2+ ions. The interaction with this atom induces the melting of polynucleotide helical parts. At the high cadmium concentration poly-C forms compact particles. The main centre binding Cd2+ ions in DNA is N7 of guanines. Noncooperative interaction with these centres results in the internal protonation of N3C of GC-pairs. This is not followed with the disordering of the DNA helical structure.

Experimental data on DNA melting in the presence of magnesium and calcium ions are compared with the calculated results by the "ligand" theory and "condensation" theory developed by de Marky and Manning (TMM). The maximum is observed in TMM dependences of DNA melting temperature change (delta Tm) on the ion concentration (D), absent in the experimental dependences and the "ligand" theory. The main cause of the discrepancy of calculated and experimental dependences delta Tm (D) is the fact that TMM neglects Na+ ion effects on Me2+ ion binding ("condensation") to DNA. The results obtained show that in comparison with TMM the "ligand" theory describes more adequately DNA helix-coil transition in the presence of divalent metal ions in the region of both low and high ionic strengths of solution.

UV differential spectroscopy is applied to study the interaction of Cu2+, Ni2+, Mn2+ ions with deoxyribonucleotides of canonic bases (dGMP, dAMP, dCMP, dTMP) and native DNA. Heteroatoms of the bases, coordinating ions, and binding constants which characterize the formation of metal complexes are found. The affinity of the ions is lower for the deoxyribonucleotide bases than for the ribonucleotide ones. This indicates that 02' of ribose participates in the stabilization of the metal complex even under conditions close to the neutral one (pH 6). Unlike the Cu2+ ions, Ni2+ and Mn2+ ions do not interact with N3C both in monomers and polymers. This seems to be the main factor explaining why copper makes DNA transform into a structure with a quasi-Hoogsteen pairing of GC pairs. No transformations of this kind of helix-coil transitions are caused by manganese and nickel up to concentrations 4 X 10(-2) M.

The complex formation of Cu2+ ions with the 2'-deoxynucleotide-5'-phosphates of bases in water solution by the UV-spectroscopy method has been established. It was obtained that the N7-atom in dGMP and N3-atom in dTMP are coordinated with copper (Cu) in complexes. The deoxyribonucleotide C can not subtract with the copper (Cu). The constants (K) of Cu-bases binding have been obtained. The K-value for purines is greater than for pyrimidines independent of the ribose structure. The ions Cu2+ at formation of complexes with separate nucleotides or natural DNA can cause the conformational transitions in these molecules. Thus the ions Cu2+ interact as with N7 and O6 G, as with N3 and O2 C. It is agreed with model, in which guanosine passes from anti to sin-conformation. The interactions of Cu-ions with G, C and A base pairs in single stranded DNA have been registered.

The properties of animal DNAs exposed to prolonged irradiation in the Chernobyl zone, have been studied by the methods of viscometry, thermal denaturation, IR-spectroscopy, and electrophoresis. High content of low-molecular fractions have been observed in the preparations of DNA from liver and spleen, their quantities increasing with age and generation of animals. This effect is especially strong in DNA from liver. Low-molecular fraction of DNA is shown to be enriched with G-C pairs and to consist of the following four fractions: 1) approximately 500 base pairs (B.p.), 2) approximately 1.5 divided by 2 thousand B.p., 3) approximately 4 divided by 5 thousand B.p. and 4) a mixture of approximately 20 thousand B.p. fragments. Further, it has been observed that the DNA preparations from the tissues of experimental animals contain about ten times higher contents of Fe, Zn, Se and other elements as compared to the control preparations.

The interaction between the native DNA macromolecules and Ca2+, Mn2+, Cu2+ ions in solutions of low ionic strength (10(-3) M Na+) is studied using the methods of differential UV spectroscopy and CD spectroscopy. It is shown that the transition metal ions Mn2+ exercise binding to the nitrogen bases of DNA at concentrations approximately 5 x 10(-6) M and form chelates with guanine of N7-Me(2+)-O6 type. Only at high concentrations in solution (5 x 10(-3) M) do Ca2+ ions interact with the nitrogen bases of native DNA. In the process of binding to Ca2+ and Mn2+ the DNA conformation experiences some changes under which the secondary structure of the biopolymer is within the B-form family. The DNA transition to the new conformation is revealed by its binding to Cu2+ ions.

The interaction of effective antibacterial drug decametoxyn with natural DNA was studied by UV-spectroscopy. Decametoxyn shows a specificity to nucleotides: it decreases the cooperativity of melting and the thermal stability of DNA parts enriched by AT pairs. The characteristics of the helix-coil transition on the DNA parts enriched by GC-pairs are invariable. Interaction with AT-pairs results in their partial or complete melting at room temperature, followed by intermolecule aggregation. Interacting with phosphates decametoxyn manifests itself not as a dication but as two single-charged ions.

Using an Cphi-4A spectrophotometer (USSR), denaturation of DNA containing approximately 2% residual protein has been studied in the presence of catecholamines and their precursors: epinephrine, beta-3,4-dioxyphenylalanine, norepinephrine, 3,4-dimethoxyphenylethylamine, tyrosine, and phenylalanine. All these substances, excluding phenylalanine, induce positive excessive hyperchromicity (as compared to initial DNA). The correlation between this effect and molecular structures of the substances studied has been shown to exist. An increase of DNA hyperchromicity in the presence of catecholamines has been found to result from the oxygen presence in the aromatic rings of the catecholamines molecules. It is assumed that the interaction between the negative O-atoms in catecholamines and bivalent metal cations in the nucleoprotein complex weakens the DNA-protein binding. This leads to an additional disorientation due to the heat of nucleic acid bases, which were previously bound by the residual protein.

The dependence of animal DNA denaturation on magnesium ion concentration has been studied in the range (10(-6)--10(-1) M with sodium ion content of 10(-3) and 10(-2) M. Special attention has been given to the effect of multivalent metallic impurities bound to DNA. An increase of DNA thermal stability has been shown to occur in the magnesium concentration rage of 10(-6)--10(-4) M. At concentrations exceeding 10(-3) M the T M begins to decrease. The dependence of the DNA melting range on magnesium ion concentration has a maximum at approximately 10(-5) M Mg2+. At low magnesium and sodium ion concentrations a strong asymmetry of the melting curves has been observed. This effect can be described in terms of the melting theory for DNA complexed with small molecules and is explained by magnesium ion redistribution from the denatured portions of DNA to native ones. The method for calculation of melting curves in the DNA-ligand system has been proposed. Studies of thermal denaturation parameters have been shown to be an effective method for the estimation of binding constants of ligands to native and denatured DNA.

Ultraviolet differential spectra of single-stranded poly C, taken in the presence of Cu2+ ions, are studied at various ionic strengths and temperatures. Coordinational and conformational components of these spectra are obtained. The Cu2+ ion coordination site on the polynucleotide bases is found to be N(3) and possibly O(2). The direction of the poly C absorption band shift due to ion binding and conformational transitions is established. At low ionic strengths of the solution Cu2+ ions cause the helical parts of poly C to melt. At high ones the formation of double-stranded parts was observed in addition to the above effect. The calculated concentration dependences of ion-poly C bases association constants show that binding is cooperative at any ionic strength.

Ultraviolet differential spectra of poly A we studied in the presence of Ca2+ ions with 10(-3)M Na+ in the solution. At concentrations lower than 10(-3)M Ca2+, the ions bind to phosphate groups of the single helical polymer, thus increasing its degree of helicity. At higher concentrations, the ions start binding to the bases of poly A, producing aggregates whose effective radius, as found with an electric microscope, is not more than 10(2) A. These particles stack to form aggregates of an order-of-magnitude higher size. The mutual orientation of bases in the poly A aggregates is of a high degree of order. The calculation of concentration dependences of Ca2+-poly A binding constants shows that this process is cooperative.

Study is presented of the effect of noradrenaline on thermic denaturation of DNA-total histone complexes within the range of protein concentrations which corresponds to c1/c2 0-1.7 in solutions of 10(-3) M Na+ ionic strength (c1 and c2 being the weight concentrations of protein and nucleic acid, respectively). Denaturation of these systems has been found to be strongly affected by bivalent metals contained in DNA samples. Their presence accounts for the high temperature and wide melting range of DNA and diminution of the latter with an increase of the protein concentration in DNA-histone complexes. The denaturation parametres obtained for the studied systems are in fair agreement with predictions from the clip thermodynamic theory. Noradrenaline is shown to be capable of destabilizing DNA-total histon complexes. This is due to the inactivation of bivalent metals bound with DNA by noradrenaline. It is also suggested that noradrenaline does not weaken the histone binding with a nucleic acid.

Ultraviolet differential spectra (UDS) and CD-spectra of poly (A) in the presence of Cu2+ ions are studied at different degrees of phosphate groups screening. The binding of cu2+ ions with bases of phosphates is shown to lead to disordering or to ordering respectively, of the mutual orientation of nucleotides. The UDS components due to conformation variations in poly (A) and association between Cu2+ ions and its bases are calculated. Comparison of the latter UDS-component with the differential spectrum of a protonated adenosine-monophosphate permits to assume that Cu2+ ions are in a coordination bond with N (1) adenine. The calculation of the concentration dependence of the binding constants indicates binding cooperativity and weak dependence on the screening degree of poly (A) phosphate groups.

The formation of Cu2+ complexes with native and denatured DNA is studied by the methods of differential UV spectroscopy, CD spectroscopy, and viscometry. On ion binding to the bases of native DNA the latter transforms into a new conformation. This transition is accompanied with a sharp increase in UV absorption and a decrease in the intrinsic viscosity though the high degree of helicity persists. Possible sites of Cu2+ ion binding on DNA of various conformations are found along with corresponding constants of complex formation.

Differential spectra (DS) of native and denaturated DNA in the presence of magnesium and calcium ions of 10(-3)--10(-1) M concentrations have been studied. DS of denaturated DNA unlike those of native DNA have pronounced maxima at 290 and approximately nm and approximately 247 nm minimum. Denaturated DNA with the ions studied forms light scattering molecular aggregates precipitating in the course of time. The aggregate dimensions were estimated. The kinetics of spectral variations with temperature and ion or DNA concentration was studied. Comparison of experimental DS with spectra of protonized nucleotides and DNA in the presence of transition metals allows to predict the existence of a binding between megnesium or calcium ions and the N(3) cytosine of single stranded DNA. The constants of ion association with these groups of nucleotides were calculated. The binding of calcium or magnesium with denaturated DNA is shown to be cooperative. This is due to the ion-induced transition of coil DNA strands to an ordered shape.

UV-differential spectra and CD spectra of poly(A) were studied in the presence of manganese ions at 10(-3) and 0.1 M Na+ in solution. It was shown that at at both low and high ionic strengths Mn2+ ions in low concentrations form bindings with phosphates of the polymer, increasing the degree of its helicity. At higher concentrations Mn2+ ions start to bind with poly(A) bases leading to a conformational helix-random coil transition. With manganese contents exceeding 10(-3) M, aggregates are formed, in which the mutual orientation of bases is characterized by a high degree of order. The calculation of concentration dependences of Mn2+ - poly(A) base binding constants shows that the process is cooperative. As the ionic strength increases from 10(-3) to 0.1 M Na+, the constant of the poly(A) - Mn2+ complex formation decreases by about an order of magnitude.

The effect of Cu2+ ions on the ultraviolet differential ( UVD ) spectra of single-stranded poly I was studied and the coordination (delta epsilon b) and conformation (delta epsilon c) components of the spectra calculated. The comparison of delta epsilon b and the UVD spectrum of protonated IMP leads to the conclusion that N(7) of inosine-5'-monophosphate (IMP) is a coordinating site for Ca2+ and Cu2+ ions on the polymer bases. The binding of Ca2+ and Cu2+ ions causes differently directed displacements of the four absorption bands of poly I, which are observed in the wavenumber range (50-34) X 10(3) cm-1. The calculation of concentration dependencies for the association constants (K") of Ca2+ and Cu2+ ions binding to poly I bases shows that the binding is cooperative. The K" values for the poly I + Ca2+ complex are two orders of magnitude lower than those for the poly I + Cu2+ complex. At low ion concentrations, binding to the poly I phosphates predominates and increases the degree of the polynucleotide helicity. At higher concentrations the spectra are mainly affected by the ion binding to bases, which results in melting of the helical parts of poly I. At Ca2+ concentrations exceeding 10(-3) M light-scattering aggregates are formed. The degree of monomer order in them is close to that observed in multistranded helices of poly I.

The DNA helix-coil transition in nonbuffer solutions of Fe(NO3)3 was studied. Calculation of the ionic equilibrium indicated that in these solutions iron exists in the form of mono-, bi- or trivalent hydroxide, the formation of which decreases pH. A component of the DNA thermal stability variation associated with DNA binding to iron ions was calculated. An increase in the iron contents produces an increase in the melting range which was determined by a rise in the melting end temperature when binding the ions with phosphates and a drop in the melting beginning temperature when binding to DNA bases. A main contribution to the former effect is made by [Fe2(OH)3]3+ ions and to the latter effect by [FeOH]2+ ions. The constants of ion binding are higher for bases than for phosphates. Differential UV spectra of native and denatured DNA due to iron ions were measured. Calculations of conformation and coordination components of these spectra show that G-C pairs are one of the possible sites of iron ion binding with DNA.

Using the thermal denaturation method the effect of bivalent copper of (4-10(-6)-10(-3)) M concentrations on the helix-coil transition of DNA was studied in the solution of Na+ concentrations 10(-3)-10(-1) M. Unlike the previous studies, this paper makes allowance for the effect of impurity ions present in DNA and deionized water. It has been shown that in the region of low Cu2+ and Na+ concentrations, thermal stability increases, the melting range extends and the denaturation curves become asymmetric. At concentrations more than approximately 3-10(-5) M Cu2+, melting temperature starts to fall, and the range reduces to 1-1.5 degrees at [Cu2+] greater than or equal to 2-10(-4) M. As [Cu2+] reaches these values, the denaturation curve asymmetry and melting range increase again, which is due to the inversion of the relative stability of AT- and GC-pairs. Employing experimental and phase-transition-theory data for homopolymers, the constants of Cu2+ binding with phosphates and DNA bases were calculated. The concentration dependence of the DNA denaturation parameters was shown to be governed by the superposition of binding Cu2+ with phosphates and nucleic acid bases.

The connections of the neocortical structures in animal and human brains with the complex of nuclear formations of the extrapyramidal system have been studied. The authors present comparative characteristics and distribution of these connections in the nuclear and other formations of the extrapyramidal system. Both mediator (via the thalamus) and direct cortical projections toward the nuclei of the extrapyramidal system in primates, especially in humans, have been found to increase. It has been shown that the frontal cortex has closer connections with the complex of the extrapyramidal nuclei as compared with other brain lobes.