Coordination Sites of Purine to Metal in Nucleic Acid Base-Metal Complexes

Abstract

Various mechanisms to elucidate the binding of metal with nucleic acid base were conflicting chiefly about the binding sites of base.
We carried out IR and PMR measurements on Co(II), Ni(ll) and Zn(ll) complexes of bases, using 3-methyladenine, 3-benzyladenine and hypoxanthine and discussed the coordinating sites of bases.
We confirmed the existence of N-9 binding of Co(II) in 3-methyladenine complexes, by comparing it with 3-benzyladenine ZnCl(H20). The latter complex shows N-7 coordination of Zn in base.