Die Reaktionsweise der Desoxyribonucleinsäure mit salpetriger Säure

Abstract

The reaction of nitrous acid with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) isolated from different sources was investigated. Contrary to the results found with ribonucleic acid from tobacco mosaic virus, in which all the aminobases are deaminated with about the same velocity, in native DNA the aminobases react with very different reaction velocities. In this case adenine and cytosine react much slower than does the guanine, also the ratios of velocities of the bases vary with the H-ion concentration of the solution. These results confirm the existence of hydrogen bonds involving only the aminogroups of adenine and cytosine in native DNA, whereas in denaturated DNA the aminogroups of all the bases are exposed to nitrous acid deamination.