Conformational transition of DNA in electroreduction studied by in situ UV and CD thin layer spectroelectrochemistry Original Research Article

Electrochemically induced three conformational transitions of calf thymus DNA from B10.4 to Z10.2-DNA and from B10.2 to B10.4 and to C-DNA in 10 mM phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.21) at glassy carbon electrode are found and studied by in situ circular dichroism (CD) thin layer spectroelectrochemistry with singular value decomposition least square (SVDLS) analysis. It indicates that the so-called B10.2 form and the C-form of DNA may be composed of B10.4 and left-A DNA and of B10.4 and right-A DNA, respectively. The irreversible electrochemical reduction of adenine and cytosine groups in the DNA molecule is studied by UV-Vis spectroelectrochemistry. Some electrochemical parameters αn=0.17, E0′=−0.70 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), and the standard heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant, k0=1.8×10−5 cm s−1, are obtained by double logarithmic analysis and non-linear regression.