90.3k views
1 vote
Which is/are the most important force(s) responsible for the base stacking interaction? Check all that apply.

A) Electrostatic forces
B) Hydrophobic forces
C) Van der Waals forces
D) None of the above

User Vrasidas
by
8.4k points

1 Answer

6 votes

Final answer:

The most important forces for base stacking interaction are hydrophobic forces, van der Waals forces, and electrostatic forces. These include London dispersion forces and the hydrophobic effect, alongside the role of the DNA's phosphate backbone in influencing base arrangements.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most important forces responsible for the base stacking interaction in nucleic acids are hydrophobic forces, van der Waals forces, and electrostatic forces. Base stacking is a molecular interaction with flat, aromatic nucleotide bases that are part of the DNA structure.

These bases tend to stack on top of one another due to the aforementioned forces. Van der Waals forces include London dispersion forces, which are weak forces that contribute significantly to base stacking. The hydrophobic nature of the bases drives them to stack together in an aqueous environment, excluding water and stabilizing the DNA regular helical structure.

Although not the only factor, electrostatic interactions also play a role when the negatively charged phosphate backbone leads to a preference for certain base arrangements over others.

The most important force responsible for the base stacking interaction is the van der Waals forces. Van der Waals forces include dipole-dipole interactions and London dispersion forces. These forces are attractive forces between molecules that arise from temporary fluctuations in electron distribution, causing temporary dipoles and inducing dipoles in neighboring molecules.

User Connor Peet
by
8.8k points