Activation energy of water desorption from guanosine.

The interactions of the nucleic acids with their water of hydration are of fundamental importance and still imperfectly understood. As an initial effort, we have studied a component of RNA: the nucleoside guanosine (rG), composed of the ribose sugar and the guanine base. The interactions of the water of primary hydration with rG have been studied via thermogravimetric measurements and differential thermal analysis. These data yield the activation energy for the desorption of the water of primary hydration from rG.