PreprintArticleVersion 1Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
Polyamines (PAs) Are Unique in Their Potential to Interact with DNA and RNA but They Do Not Provide a Relevant Buffer System at Physiological pH Values
Version 1
: Received: 30 April 2023 / Approved: 1 May 2023 / Online: 1 May 2023 (10:50:20 CEST)
How to cite:
Rieck, J.; Derst, C.; Veh, R.W. Polyamines (PAs) Are Unique in Their Potential to Interact with DNA and RNA but They Do Not Provide a Relevant Buffer System at Physiological pH Values. Preprints2023, 2023050024. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202305.0024.v1
Rieck, J.; Derst, C.; Veh, R.W. Polyamines (PAs) Are Unique in Their Potential to Interact with DNA and RNA but They Do Not Provide a Relevant Buffer System at Physiological pH Values. Preprints 2023, 2023050024. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202305.0024.v1
Rieck, J.; Derst, C.; Veh, R.W. Polyamines (PAs) Are Unique in Their Potential to Interact with DNA and RNA but They Do Not Provide a Relevant Buffer System at Physiological pH Values. Preprints2023, 2023050024. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202305.0024.v1
APA Style
Rieck, J., Derst, C., & Veh, R.W. (2023). Polyamines (PAs) Are Unique in Their Potential to Interact with DNA and RNA but They Do Not Provide a Relevant Buffer System at Physiological pH Values. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202305.0024.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Rieck, J., Christian Derst and Rüdiger W. Veh. 2023 "Polyamines (PAs) Are Unique in Their Potential to Interact with DNA and RNA but They Do Not Provide a Relevant Buffer System at Physiological pH Values" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202305.0024.v1
Abstract
AbstractPolyamines (PAs) including putrescine (PUT), spermidine (SPD) and spermine (SPM) are small, versatile molecules with two or more positively charged amino groups. Despite their importance for almost all forms of life, their specific roles in molecular and cellular biology remain partly unknown. The molecular structures of PAs suggest two presumable biological functions: (i) as potential buffer systems and (ii) as interactants with poly-negatively charged molecules like nucleic acids.The present report focuses on the question, whether the molecular structures of PAs are essential for such functions, or whether other simple molecules like small peptides with closely spaced positively charged side chains might be suitable as well. Consequently, we created titration curves for PUT, SPD, and SPM, as well as for oligolysines like tri-, tetra-, and penta-lysine. None of the molecules provided substantial buffering capacity at physiological intracellular pH values. Apparently, the most important mechanism for intracellular pH homeostasis in neurons is not a buffer system but is provided by the actions of the sodium-hydrogen and the bicarbonate-chloride antiporters.In a similar approach we investigated the interaction with DNA by following the extinction at 260 nm when titrating DNA with the above molecules. Again, PUT and tri-lysine were not able to interact with herring sperm DNA, while SPD and SPM were. Obviously, the presence of several positively charged groups on its own is not sufficient for the interaction with nucleic acids. Instead, the precise spacing of these groups is necessary for biological activity.
Keywords
Key Words Putrescine; spermidine; spermine; tri-lysine; tetra-lysine; penta-lysine; DNA-conformation; RNA-conformation; indirect buffer system
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Neuroscience and Neurology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
