CD and uv absorption data showed that high molecular weight poly(dA-dT) . poly(dA-dT), at 298 K, undergoes an acid-induced transition from B-double helix to random coil in NaCl solutions of different concentrations, ranging from 0.005 to 0.600M. Similarly, titration of the polynucleotide with a strong base causes duplex-to-single strands transition. The base- and acid-induced transitions were both reversible by back-titration (with an acid or, respectively, with a base): the apparent pKa were the same in both directions. However, the number of protons per titratable site (adenine N1) required to reach half-denaturation was in great excess over the stoichiometric value; to a much larger extent, the same effect was observed also for the deprotonation of the N3H sites of thymine. Moreover, in the basic denaturation experiments, at low salt concentrations ([NaCl]< or =0.300M) less acid than calculated was needed to back-titrate the base excess to half-denaturation. Both effects could be qualitatively justified on the basis of the counterion condensation theory of polyelectrolytes and considering the energy barrier created by the negatively charged phosphodiester groups to the penetration of the OH- ions inside the double helix and the screening effect of the Na+ ions on such charges, in the deprotonation experiments.

CD and UV spectroscopies have been used to investigate the effects caused by the addition of either strong acid-or base-containing microemulsions on the behaviour of the synthetic polynucleotide polyAT entrapped in the aqueous core of a cationic quaternary water-in-oil microemulsion (μE). The titrations were performed in the presence of variable concentrations of NaCl, in the range 0.00 to 0.60 M. In both cases, the primary effect was the reversible transition from B-double helix to random coil of the guest polynucleotide. However, in the microemulsive medium, the number of moles of protons (RH) and hydroxide ions (ROH) per mole of titrable sites are independent of the salt concentration but larger than 0.5, the value predicted on the basis of the stoicheiometry of the protonation-deprotonation processes. This result is in contrast with that obtained in aqueous solution (higher RH and ROH values and strongly dependent on NaCl concentration) and is explained with the presence of the cationic micellar wall (CTAB polar heads) acting as a ionic strength buffer