CORRELATION OF INTRINSIC DNA CURVATURE WITH DNA PROPERTY PERIODICITY

Twelve di- and trinucleotide parameter sets representing various struc tural, thermodynamic or bendability-related properties of DNA were tes ted in the prediction of DNA curvature applying Fourier analysis on cu rved and straight, A/T-type or G/C-type DNA sequence motifs. The best predictions were obtained with a new consensus bendability scale creat ed by combining a nucleosome-based and a deoxyribonuclease I-based par ameter set, Geometry calculations on the same sequences showed that th e helical parameters derived from NMR structures can correctly predict curvature, as distinct from the parameters derived from X-ray crystal lographic analysis.