Thermodynamics of base pairing

Abstract

The study of the thermodynamics of base pairing is a rapidly expanding field due to its importance for taking advantage of opportunities presented by the growing database of nucleic acid sequences. Both natural and unnatural nucleic acids are being studied. The determination of nearest-neighbor parameters from optical melting data for RNA-DNA and DNA-DNA duplexes with Watson-Crick base pairs is particularly noteworthy. The foundations are also being laid for a theoretical understanding of these thermodynamics.