Berlin 2018 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 28: Single Molecule Biophysics

BP 28.6: Talk

Thursday, March 15, 2018, 11:15–11:30, H 1058

Interaction of DNA structures with ectoine: a molecular dynamics simulation study — •Ewa Anna Oprzeska-Zingrebe and Jens Smiatek — Institute for Computational Physics, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany

In nature, the cellular environment of DNA composes not only of water and ions, but also of salts, lipids and other cosolutes, which can exert both stabilizing and destabilizing influence on the formation and existence of particular DNA higher-order forms. Among them, ectoine, known as osmoprotectant occurring naturally in halophilic bacteria and other microorganisms exposed on severe osmotic stress, turns out to be of particular importance. In our research, we investigate the behavior of a short 7-bp DNA oligonucleotide with the sequence d(GCGAAGC) in both linear and folded form, as well as 24-bp B-DNA duplex in aqueous solution with various concentrations of ectoine. Our results demonstrate a DNA conformation-dependent binding behavior, which allows us to rationalize the structure-stabilizing influence of ectoine.