Abstract
The rate of heat denaturation of calf-thymus, salmon-sperm and bacterial DNA's was studied with a high-frequency electric heating system. It was found that the rate of heat denaturation of DNA is rather slow, requiring more than 3 sec. The rate of denaturation is dependent on the guanine-cytosine content, and it is faster when the guanine-cytosine content is smaller. The rates are also faster below pH 5.0. Furthermore, the rate is faster in the presence of 8 M urea in the case of salmon-sperm DNA but is not affected by urea in the case of calf-thymus DNA. The relationship between the rate of unwinding and the length of DNA is also investigated but because of the possible presence of single-strand breaks, the results are complicated and no conclusion is reached concerning this problem.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
