Investigation by physical methods of the possible role of telomeres in DNA in aging process

Abstract

The interaction energies between the different types of bases of a single strand of DNA molecule have been calculated. Using these original values of energies the harmonic behavior of a number of base patterns of DNA has been studied. In view of the great interest aroused by the discovery of the role of the telomere segment of the DNA in the replication process and its possible link with the aging process, we have investigated, with simple models, the harmonic behavior of the telomeric pattern of bases as well as the thermodynamic response in the biological system. With these results a conclusion on the probable role of the telomeric pattern on aging has also been drawn. Here the calculated values of harmonic frequencies of the telomeric pattern of bases and of other possible patterns show that the telomeric pattern is associated with the highest vibrational frequency among all patterns of base combinations at the replication end of DNA. This seems to suggest that due to the existing telomeric pattern being closest to the frequencies of the electromagnetic radiation coming from sunlight, resonance of the telomeric frequency with such radiation may be responsible for damage to the reproductive ability of the cells and consequent aging and other problems. On the other hand in the last part of this work we have calculated the thermal vibrational amplitudes of the telomeric pattern and other possible patterns which show that the amplitude for the telomeric pattern is the least, and this suggests that the telomeric pattern is more mechanically and thermally stable than other possible patterns in the biological environment against damage from ordinary heat and mechanical effects.