The phosphodiester of the DNA backbone has a formal electrostatic charge of –1. What is the work required to assemble two single helical strands of DNA (each with 5 bases) into a double helix? Assume a Coulomb constant of unity. Is the sign of the work negative (stabilizing) or positive (destabilizing).
The sign of the work is negative.stablize the double strand DNA
during the assembling of a single strand DNA to double-strand DNA (helix structure) the energy will release due to stabilizing of double strand DNA. The double strand DNA will stabilize through hydrogen bond interactions between complementary organic bases (like purine and pyrimidine) and hydrophobic interactions between the nitrogenous bases and the surrounding of water molecules (solvent) and van der Waals forces.
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