Influence of base composition, base sequence, and duplex structure on DNA hydration: apparent molar volumes and apparent molar adiabatic compressibilities of synthetic and natural DNA duplexes at 25 degrees C.

Using high-precision densitometric and ultrasonic measurements, we have determined, at 25 degrees C, the apparent molar volumes, phi V, and the apparent molar compressibilities, phi KS, of five natural and three synthetic B-form DNA duplexes with varying base compositions and base sequences. We find that phi V ranges from 152.0 to 186.6 cm3 mol-1, while phi KS ranges from -73.0 x 10(-4) to -32.6 x 10(-4) cm3 mol-1 bar-1. We interpret these data in terms of DNA hydration which, by the definition employed in this work, refers to those water molecules whose density and compressibility differ from those of bulk water due to interactions with the DNA solute. This definition implies that hydration depends not just on the quantity but also on the quality of the solvent molecules perturbed by the solute. In fact, we find that the number of water molecules perturbed by the DNA duplexes (the quantity of water in their hydration shells) is approximately the same for all of the B-form double helixes studied, while the quality of this water differs as measured by its density and compressibility, thereby yielding differences in the overall hydration properties. Specifically, we find a linear relationship between the density and the coefficient of adiabatic compressibility, beta Sh, of water in the hydration shell of the DNA duplexes, with the range of values for beta Sh being only 65-80% of the value of bulk water.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)