Influence of thermal denaturation on the electrophoretic mobility of calf thymus DNA

The results of electrophoresis experiments on aqueous solutions of native and thermally denatured DNA are reported. A significant decrease of the electrophoretic mobility has been observed following thermal denaturation, which under suitable conditions gives rise to a resolution into two peaks of 1 : 1 mixtures in the electrophoretic pattern. This result is entirely consistent with the previously reported increase of the activity coefficient of sodium counterions following thermal denaturation. The hypothesis that thermal denaturation of calf thymus DNA induces a large decrease of charge density on the macroion which has been ascribed to the population of more extended conformations of the chains in the disordered region of the molecule is therefore further confirmed.