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Abstract The effect of deuterium on the thermal stability of the polynecleotide double helix formed by the homopolymers polyadenylie acid (poly A)and polyuridylic acid (poly U)has been invertigated by measuring the best capacity as a function of temperature in an automatic scanning adiabatic calorimeter. Hydrogen‐bounded and deuterium‐bonded helical conformations of the polynecleotides used have been melted in H 2 O and D 2 O 2 respectively, as solvent. Within the limits of experimental error, there is no dfference in the measured enthallpy change accompanying the helix‐random coil transition. The enthalpy change ΔH is 6.6 Kcal/MBP ub any case. The half‐conversion temperatures T m differ by two degrees. T m for poly (AU) in H 2 O is 45.8°C, T m for poly (AU) in D 2 is 47.7.°C.
H. Klump (Wed,) studied this question.