A Raman Scattering Study of the Interactions of DNA with its Water of Hydration

POSTER

Abstract

Raman spectroscopy is used to probe the nature of the hydrogen bonds which hold the water of hydration to DNA. The $\sim $ 3450 cm$^{-1}$ molecular O-H stretching mode shows that the first 6 water molecules per base pair of the primary hydration shell are very strongly bound to the DNA. The observed shift in the peak position of this mode permits a determination of the length of the hydrogen bonds for these water molecules. These hydrogen bonds appear to be about 0.3 {\AA} shorter than the hydrogen bonds in bulk water. The linewidth of this mode shows no significant changes above water contents of about 15 water molecules per base pair. This technique of using a vibrational spectroscopy to obtain structural information about the hydration shells of DNA could be used to study the hydration shells of other biomolecules.

Authors

  • Scott Lee

    University of Toledo

  • Oleg Popov

    Miami University, Chemistry Department, Penn State Univ., University Park, PA 16802, unaffiliated, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ohio State University Columbus, OH 43210, Department of Physics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, University of Cincinnati, Miami University of Ohio, University of Michigan, University of Notre Dame, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Wayne State University, University of Tennessee, National Technical University of Athens, The University of Tennessee, Kettering Univeristy, University of Michigan-Dearborn, FNAL, Harvard University, California State University, Department of Physics, Kettering University, Flint, Michigan, Department of Natural Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Applied Sciences Inc., Cedarville, Ohio, Oakland University, University of Stockholm, Arizona State University

  • Oleg Popov

    Miami University, Chemistry Department, Penn State Univ., University Park, PA 16802, unaffiliated, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ohio State University Columbus, OH 43210, Department of Physics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, University of Cincinnati, Miami University of Ohio, University of Michigan, University of Notre Dame, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Wayne State University, University of Tennessee, National Technical University of Athens, The University of Tennessee, Kettering Univeristy, University of Michigan-Dearborn, FNAL, Harvard University, California State University, Department of Physics, Kettering University, Flint, Michigan, Department of Natural Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Applied Sciences Inc., Cedarville, Ohio, Oakland University, University of Stockholm, Arizona State University