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AAT Bioquest

What is the pKa of the phosphate group in DNA and RNA molecules?

Posted January 26, 2021


Answer

The phosphate groups in DNA and RNA molecules have a pKa of approximately 2. This is largely due to the fact that at a physiological pH the phosphate groups in the sugar-phosphate backbone are fully ionized

Additional resources

Experimental approaches for measuring pKa's in RNA and DNA

PhosphoWorks™ Fluorimetric Phosphate Assay Kit *Red Fluorescence*

DNA and RNA