Session S8 - Nucleic Acids II.
ORAL session, Wednesday afternoon, March 24
510A, Palais des Congres
We have found stable isomers of the two DNA purines, adenine and guanine, in global searches using a force field potential and ab initio local relaxations. The stability characteristics were investigated by searching for the lowest energy connecting saddles, and by using Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics. Expected equilibrium concentrations and possible non-equilibrium production mechanisms are discussed. It is suggested that these isomers may play a role in base-pair miss-match leading to point mutation of the gnome, and in a number of other important biological processes based on the purine structures.