(Applications 3)Neutron Crystal Structure Analysis of Hydrogen-bonding Networks and Fluctuation of Water Molecules in Nucleotide Hydrates

Abstract

Nucleosides and nucleotides, which are the basic components of nucleic acids, crystallize as hydrates. Numbers of crystal water molecules are a function of relative humidity surrounding crystals. Besides, phase transitions occur around 200K, which couple with the ordering of crystal water molecules. Neutron diffraction analysis on the humidity- and temperature-induced phase transitions of nucleotide hydrates was carried out. Neutron crystal structures showed that there were hydrogen-bonding networks common to nucleotide hydrates, switching of long-ranged hydrogen-bonding networks, and fluctuating crystal water molecules anchoring through hydrogen bonds.