Calibration of the change in thermal stability of DNA duplexes and degree of base pair mismatch
- 1 May 1988
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Journal of Molecular Evolution
- Vol. 27 (3), 212-216
- https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02100076
Abstract
One method of determining the degree of base pair divergence between two sources of DNA (different strains, species, etc.) is to determine the decrease in thermal stability of hybrid duplex DNA due to mismatching of base pairs. Attempts to calibrate the change in median melting temperature (ΔTm) to base pair mismatch have led to conflicting results. We have studied the ΔTm between DNAs of known sequence over a range of from 0.55% to 7.2% base pair mismatch. The relationship of ΔTm and percent base pair mismatch is remarkably linear over this range with a correlation coefficient >0.98. A ΔTm of 1°C corresponds to 1.7% base pair mismatch. This conversion is higher than that usually assumed and, therefore, rates of DNA evolution estimated by DNA-DNA hybridization studies are likely faster than previously thought.Keywords
This publication has 27 references indexed in Scilit:
- Rates of DNA Sequence Evolution Differ Between Taxonomic GroupsScience, 1986
- A molecular solution to the riddle of the giant panda's phylogenyNature, 1985
- Evolution of single-copy DNA and the ADH gene in seven drosophilidsJournal of Molecular Evolution, 1982
- Evolutionary distances in hawaiian drosophila measured by DNA reassociationJournal of Molecular Evolution, 1981
- Evolution of sea urchin non-repetitive DNAJournal of Molecular Evolution, 1980
- DNA melting temperatures and renaturation rates in concentrated alkylammonium salt solutionsPeptide Science, 1977
- Analysis of restriction fragments of T7 DNA and determination of molecular weights by electrophoresis in neutral and alkaline gelsJournal of Molecular Biology, 1977
- Detection of specific sequences among DNA fragments separated by gel electrophoresisJournal of Molecular Biology, 1975
- Effects of microscopic and macroscopic viscosity on the rate of renaturation of DNAPeptide Science, 1974
- Effect of chemical modification on the rate of renaturation of deoxyribonucleic acid. Deaminated and glyoxalated deoxyribonucleic acidBiochemistry, 1973