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Definitions and Nomenclature of Nucleic Acid Structure Parameters

(R. E. Dickerson et al., J. Mol. Biol. (1989) 205, 787-791.)

Subsections: Rotation and Translation

Values below the pictures belong to

1. an A-helix (Blackburn and Gait, Nucleic acids in chemistry and biology, Oxford University Press New York 1996)
2. an Curves output from ideal A-RNA, letters in brackets denote the section.
3. an B-DNA helix (Blackburn and Gait, Nucleic acids in chemistry and biology, Oxford University Press New York 1996)
4. an Curves output from ideal B-DNA, letters in brackets denote the section.
   • (C) Global Base pair-Axis Parameters
   • (D) Global Base-Base Parameters
   • (F) Global Inter-Base pair Parameters

The Curves reference files are available for

• ideal A-RNA output
• ideal A-RNA pdb file
• ideal B-DNA output
• ideal B-DNA pdb file

	Co-ordinate frame	Tip	Inclination
I	--	11.0 °	12.0 °
II (C)	--	0.0 °	15.8 °
III	--	0.0 °	2.4 °
IV (C)	--	0.0 °	-6.0 °

	Opening	Propeller Twist	Buckle
I	--	-8.3 °	-2.4 °
II (D)	-4.22 °	14.42 °	0.01 °
III	--	-11.1 °	-0.2 °
IV (D)	-3.90 °	3.87 °	0.00 °

	Twist	Roll	Tilt
I	32.7 °	6.3 °	16 - 19 °
II (F)	32.7 °	0.0 °	0.0 °
III	36.1 °	0.6 °	0.0 °
IV (F)	36.0 °	0.0 °	0.0 °

	P-P interstrand distance	y displacement	x displacement
I	11.5 - 11.9 Å	4.4 Å	--
II (C)	--	0.0 Å	-5.30 Å
III	8.8 - 14.0 Å	-0.2 to -1.8 Å	--
IV (C)	--	0.0 Å	-0.7 Å

	Stagger	Stretch	Shear
I	--	--	--
II (D)	0.21 Å	-0.38 Å	0.00 Å
III	--	--	--
IV (D)	0.06 Å	0.03 Å	0.0 Å

	Rise	Slide	Shift
I	2.8 Å	--	-4.1 Å
II (F)	2.81 Å	0.00 Å	0.00 Å
III	3.36 Å	0.4 Å	0.8 Å
IV (F)	3.38 Å	0.0 Å	0.0 Å

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