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Biomedical subjects

G Govil

Publications and source records attributed to G Govil.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Conformational studies of antiradiation agents by NMR: cysteamine and its derivatives.

The conformations of cysteamine, thiazolidine, and thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid were determined in aqueous solutions using NMR spectroscopy. At physiological pH, the population ratio of gauche- and trans-conformers was 3:1. The gauche-rotamer is probably responsible for the antiradiation activity and acts through metal chelation involving sulfur and nitrogen atoms. The puckering of the thiazolidine ring was calculated using NMR coupling constants. The observed results were compared with those obtained in the solid state using X-ray diffraction.

Chemical Phenomena↗

Structure of poly 8-bromoadenylic acid; conformational studies by CPF energy calculations.

Poly 8-bromoadenylic acid [poly(BBrA)] is the only known all-syn polynucleotide. It shows a helix-coil transition with a melting curve centred around 55 degrees C. Energy calculations based on classical potential functions have been used to explore the three-dimensional structure of this polymer in helix and random coil. It is concluded that the ordered state is a helix of two parallel strands with a two-fold rotation axis, and the duplex is stabilised by hydrogen bonds involving N1 and H6. Each strand has a conformation with C3' endo geometry, phi' = 216 degrees, omega' = 280 degrees, omega = 294 degrees, phi = 179 degrees, chi = 243 degrees and psi = 57 degrees. Such a conformation leads to approximately 8 nucleotide units per turn of the helix and an axial rise of 3.9A degrees. The structure of poly(8BrA) has been compared with that of the related polymer poly(A) which forms a double helical structure in acidic conditions with bases in the anti conformation and with interstrand hydrogen-bonds between N7 and H6. This is the first time that a specific geometrical model of a novel polynucleotide structure has been produced initially by potential energy calculations, though such calculations on a number of known structures have been reported previously.

Models, Molecular↗