DNA axial charge density & surface charge density

Range axial charge density-two phosphate groups/3.4Å: surface charge density-two phosphate groups/210Å^2
Organism Unspecified
Reference Record MT Jr et al., Double helical DNA: conformations, physical properties, and interactions with ligands. Annu Rev Biochem. 1981 50 :997-1024. p.998 top paragraphPubMed ID7023371
Comments P.997 bottom paragraph to p.998 top paragraph: "Perspectives and Summary: Substantial progress has been made recently in understanding the unique physical features of double helical DNA and their implications for its interactions with ligands and for packaging DNA in vivo. These unique features of DNA include: 1. its lateral and torsional stiffness 2. its high axial charge density (two phosphate groups per 3.4Å) and moderate surface charge density (two phosphate groups per 210Å^2) and 3. its superposition of two binding lattices, one a relatively homogeneous array of phosphate charges that will interact electrostatically and nonspecifically with cationic ligands, the other a heterogeneous array of stacked base pairs that will interact with ligands nonelectrostatically and specifically." See BNID 103784
Entered by Uri M
ID 112613