Protonated polynucleotide structures. I. The thermal denaturation of polycytidylic acid in acid solution.

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Abstract
The thermal denaturation of the double-helical semiprotonated structure at poly C [cytidylic acid] has been studied at different acid pH values. The results suggest that poly C assumes a very similar, if not identical, structure between pH 3.75 and pH 5.25 at room temperature. Above pH 4.5, the disruption of the helix involves the loss of the shared proton, as reported by others, while thermal denaturation at pH 4 and below seems to be accompanied by protonation. Slightly above the pK of the acid structure of poly C, the polymer seems to be completely devoid of a structure, even stacking at room temperature.