Chemistry Commons^™

Spectroscopic Analyses Of Factors Affecting Formation And Stability Of I-Motif Dna, Samantha Michelle Reilly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The four-stranded i-motif (iM) conformation of DNA has importance to a variety of biochemical systems that include nanomaterials and oncogene regulation. Fundamental studies to understand iM formation and its structure in solution still remain to be done. In this dissertation, we will discuss the use of the fluorescent base analog tC° to determine the structural state of DNA in solution. We will also demonstrate the use of tC° to determine both the hydrodynamic properties and the folding mechanism of an iM. We also determined the loop length dependence on iM formation and stability. Our hydrodynamic studies show that the iM …