Question

How does high salt concentration influence denaturation kinetics of DNA? Explain your reasoning.

A) Increases denaturation; Disrupts hydrogen bonds; Promotes stability
B) Decreases denaturation; Facilitates base pairing; Enhances flexibility
C) Increases denaturation; Stabilizes hydrogen bonds; Inhibits stability
D) Has no effect on denaturation; Alters phosphodiester bonds; Induces rigidity

Answer 1

High salt concentration decreases the rate of DNA denaturation by stabilizing the hydrogen bonds between the base pairs, making it more difficult for them to break.

Step-by-step explanation:

High salt concentration can influence the denaturation kinetics of DNA. Salt ions can interact with the water molecules, which in turn reduces the interaction between water and the phosphate backbone of DNA. This leads to a stabilizing effect on the hydrogen bonds between the complementary bases within the DNA double helix. Consequently, the high salt concentration increases the stability of the DNA molecule, making it more difficult for the hydrogen bonds to break, and thus it decreases the rate of denaturation. This is because DNA denaturation is primarily caused by the disruption of hydrogen bonds between the base pairs, and anything that stabilizes these bonds, such as high salt concentration, would inhibit the denaturation process.