Effects of microscopic and macroscopic viscosity on the rate of renaturation of DNA

The effect of solvent viscosity on DNA renaturation rates has been investigated as a function of temperature for a number of solvent systems. The results are all consistent with a microscopic viscosity limitation of the rate determining step. Rates of renaturation in perchlorate and quaternary ammonium salt solutions are also discussed. Increasing the macroscopic viscosity with dissolved neutral or anionic polymers increases, rather than decreases, renaturation rates due to the excluded volume of the dissolved polymers.