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Poster Presentations
Day 4, June 25（Wed.）
Room P (Maesato East, Foyer, Ocean Wing)
- 4P-PM-43
Charge-Induced Unzipping Pathways Compared with DNA/RNA Hairpins Melting Using IMS-MS
(POSTECH)
oDahye Im, Jongcheol Seo
This study uses ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) to deepen our understanding of DNA and RNA hairpin melting beyond conventional thermodynamic approaches. Observations show that hairpins incorporate charges during electrospray ionization (ESI), facilitating the identification of charge-induced unzipping pathways. The study identified three trends: firstly, a native folded structure at low charge states; secondly, a stable intermediate exists between folded and unfolded; and thirdly, a linear unfolded structure at high charge states. The stable intermediate, interpreted as a partially opened structure at the bottom of the stem, aligns with prior findings. It is remarkable that the melting behavior of the intermediate - especially at arbitrary charges, where half of the hairpin is in a linear unfolded state - is closely correlated with the melting temperature. Intriguingly, when half of the hairpin remains folded, it indicates local stability at the stem's terminal end. This approach offers a valuable complement to conventional thermodynamic analysis and also serves as an experimental indicator of novel local structural stability of the hairpin.