NMR studies of nucleic acids. Deuterium isotope effects on carbon-13 chemical shifts in hydrogen-bonded complexes of pyrimidines and purines

Abstract

{sup 13}C NMR spectra were recorded for chloroform solutions of 2',3'-O-isopropylidene-5'-O-acetyladenosine (1), 2',3',5'-O-tribenzoyluridine (2), 2',3'-O-isopropylidene-5'-O-acetyluridine (2a), 2',3'-O-isopropylidene-5'-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)guanosine (3), and 2',3'-O-isopropylidene-5'-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)cytidine (4) in which the imino hydrogens were partially exchanged with deuterium. Upfield two-bond deuterium isotope effects (DIE) on {sup 13}C chemical shifts were detected under conditions of slow exchange as multiple peaks for the appropriate resonances and ranged in magnitude from 40 ppB for the amino interaction with C2 in guanosine to 217 ppB for the imino interaction with C4 in the uridine self-association dimer. {sup 13}C chemical shifts and DIEs for 2 were measured at 12 different concentrations from 219 to 231 K. The data were used in an iterative procedure to estimate chemical shifts at C2 and C4 for monomeric and dimeric forms of 2, equilibrium constants and enthalpies for self-association, and the distribution of isomeric self-association dimers. Enthalpies for formation of hydrogen bonds to C2 and C4 in 2 were similar, {Delta}H = {minus}1.8 kcal/mol. DIEs at C2 and C4 increased upon formation of a hydrogen bond to the carbonyl oxygens. The maximal increase for each center was estimated to be 90 ppB. Small increases were also observed in DIEs when nucleosides 1-4 were mixed with theirmore » complementary bases. 38 refs., 3 figs., 7 tabs.« less