Base stacking: Difference between revisions

'''Base stacking''' is a common arrangement of nucleobases found in the three dimensional structure of nucleic acids. Bases (or base pairs) are planar, and these planes stack at contact distance (about 3.4 Angstrom), excluding water and maximizing Van der Walls interactions. In terms of structural stability, the stacking interactions of bases play a larger role than the hydrogen bonds of the bases for nucleic acids in aqueous solution.<ref> PMID:16449200</ref>