Silver Ion Unusually Stabilizes the Structure of a Parallel-Motif DNA Triplex

A simple and easy method for stabilizing DNA triplexes using Ag(+) is reported. A silver ion displaces the N3 proton of cytosine in Hoogsteen base-pairing to form the base triplet CG.CAg(+). By the addition of an equimolar amount of Ag(+), the third-strand 15-mer sequence containing five cytosines was stabilized by approximately 30 degrees C in melting temperature at pH 7. The triplex structure was stable even under weakly basic conditions.