Interferon Induction: A Conformational Hypothesis

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 76; no. 3; pp. 1018 - 1021
• Main Authors: Miles, Douglas L., Miles, Daniel W., Eyring, Henry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 01.03.1979; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Adenosine; Calorimetry; Coordinate systems; DNA; Glycosides; Inosine; Interferon Inducers; Interferons; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Nucleic acids; Nucleosides; Nucleotides; Poly I-C; Polynucleotides; Purine nucleosides; Purines; Rotation

The ability of polynucleotides or polynucleotide duplexes such as poly(I)· poly(C) to induce interferon production is proposed to depend on the existence of certain stable glycosidic orientations. It appears that a slight increase in instability of 1-3 kcal/mole (1 cal = 4.184 J) in the conformation...