The Effect of Single Deuterium Substitutions for Protium in a DNA Molecule on the Occurrence of Open States

Abstract

The data obtained by mathematical modeling of the occurrence of open states between nitrogenous bases in a D. melanogaster gene where a protium atom is replaced by deuterium are presented. It was shown that in the physiological range of deuterium concentrations substitution of deuterium for protium increases the probability of hydrogen-bond disruption between complementary bases by 0.22–0.60%. This result suggests that deuterium can decelerate the transcriptional reading of genetic information. At the same time, under conditions that weaken the hydrogen bonds between the strands of a DNA molecule, replacement of protium with deuterium facilitates the formation of open states, increasing the probability of base modification induced by damaging environmental factors.