Predicting and Interpreting the Hofmeister Effects of Different Salts with Nucleic Bases and Aromatic Compounds Using Solubility Assay

Abstract

The interaction between salts and nucleic acid bases or aromatic compounds plays an important role in noncovalent biopolymer assembly processes such as DNA and RNA helix formation and protein-nucleic acid interactions. The project determines effects of five salts contains Hofmeister ions (NaF, K.Br, KSCN, NILiCl, NILiBr) on the solubility of 11 model compounds (nucleic bases, nucleic base derivatives, and naphthalene) to experimentally quantify salt-model compound preferential interactions (chemical potential derivatives designated μ23). Values of μ23 are obtained from the derivative of the logarithm of the model compound solubility with respect to the molal concentration of salt. These data are analyzed to predict interactions of these Hofmeister salts with the five functional groups of nucleic acid bases (aromatic C and N; carbonyl O; Sp3 N, aliphatic C). The results are used to predict the interactions between Hofmeister salts and other organic compounds and effect of Hofmeister salts on nucleic acid processes.