Spermine에 의하여 誘發되는 凝縮 DNA 構造의 安定化에 있어서 hydrophobic interaction의 重要性을 試驗하기 위하여 spermine-DNA 複合體의 異例的 吸光度-溫度 樣相에 미치는 urea의 效果를 調査하였다. 그 結果 異例的 吸光度-溫度 樣相의 downward peak(trough) 領域에 이르는 相變移에 對한 cooperativity, enthalpy, midpoint의 값들이 Tm 領域의 값들 보다 urea에 敏感한 影響을 받았으며, urea의 濃度 增加에 따라 downward peak가 점차 사라졌다. 이 data는 異例的 吸光度-溫度 樣相을 構成하는 downward peak가 spermine에 의하여 誘發되는 hydrophobic interaction에 의한 凝縮된 tertiary structure의 形成을 나타내고 있다고 불 수 있다.
To investigate the importance of the hydrophobic interaction in the spermine-induced collapse of DNA to a compact structure, the effect of urea on the anomalous absorbance-temperature profile of calf thymus DNA has been investigated. With the increase of the urea concentration, the trough phase of the anomalous absorbance-temperature profile was eliminated eventually. The cooperativity, enthalpy, and the midpoint of the transition to the trough region are more sensitive to urea than those of the Tm-region transition. The present data of the adverse effect of urea, a hydrophobic environmental reagent, on the thermal stabilization of the condensed state of DNA, suggest that hydrophobic interaction may play an important role in the stabilization of the tertiary structure of the collapsed state of DNA.
