Related papers: Localization phenomena in a DNA double helix struc…
The symmetries of the DNA double helix require a new term in its linear response to stress: the coupling between twist and stretch. Recent experiments with torsionally-constrained single molecules give the first direct measurement of this…
We present a self-contained theory for the mechanical response of DNA in single molecule experiments. Our model is based on a 1D continuum description of the DNA molecule and accounts both for its elasticity and for DNA-DNA electrostatic…
We calculate the spectrum of torsional vibrations of a double-stranded structure that models the double helix of the DNA. We come to the conclusion that within the framework of the model elementary excitations may display an asymmetry as…
Due to its polyionic character the DNA double helix is stable and biologically active only in salty aqueous media where its charge is compensated by solvent counterions. Monovalent metal ions are ubiquitous in DNA environment and they are…
The aim of the present paper is the study of the entropic elasticity of the dsDNA molecule, having a cristallographic length L of the order of 10 to 30 persistence lengths A, when it is subject to spatial obstructions. We have not tried to…
The electrical properties of DNA molecules are investigated by charge injection and electric force microscopy experiments. Prior to injection, DNA molecules exhibit a weak positively charged state. We probe the electrical behaviour of DNA…
The spontaneous formation of double helices for filaments under torsion is common and significant. For example, the research on the supercoiling of DNA is helpful for understanding the replication and transcription of DNA. Similar double…
We propose a tight-binding model to investigate electronic transport properties of single helical protein molecules incorporating both the helical symmetry and the possibility of multiple charge transfer pathways. Our study reveals that due…
Complementary DNA strands in solution reliably hybridize to form stable duplexes. We study the kinetics of the hybridization process and the mechanisms by which two initially isolated strands come together to form a stable double helix. We…
The denaturation of the double helix is a template for fundamental biological functions such as replication and transcription involving the formation of local fluctuational openings. The denaturation transition is studied for heterogeneous…
Gel electrophoresis is a powerful experimental method to probe the topology of DNA and other biopolymers. While there is a large body of experimental work which allows us to accurately separate different topoisomers of a molecule, a full…
DNA supercoiling plays an important role in a variety of cellular processes. The torsional stress related with supercoiling may be also involved in gene regulation through the local structure and dynamics of the double helix. To check this…
It is well-established that many physical properties of DNA at sufficiently long length scales can be understood by means of simple polymer models. One of the most widely used elasticity models for DNA is the twistable worm-like chain…
A versatile approach to modeling the conformations and energetics of DNA loops is presented. The model is based on the classical theory of elasticity, modified to describe the intrinsic twist and curvature of DNA, the DNA bending…
In our report we consider two weakly coupled Schr\"odinger equations as a model of the interchain energy transport in the DNA double-helix. We use the reduction of the Yakushevich-type model considering the torsional dynamics of the DNA. In…
The bias-dependent transport properties of short poly(G)-poly(C) A-DNA strands attached to Au electrodes are investigated with first principles electronic transport methods. By using the non- equilibrium Green's function approach combined…
We study the propagation of very large amplitude localized excitations in a model of DNA that takes explicitly into account the helicoidal structure. These excitations represent the ``transcription bubble'', where the hydrogen bonds between…
The percentage and sequence of AT and GC base pairs and charges on the DNA backbone contribute significantly to the stiffness of DNA. This elastic property of DNA also changes with small interacting ligands. The single-molecule force…
In many organisms, homologous (or repetitive) chromosomal regions can associate or/and undergo concerted epigenetic changes in the absence of DNA breakage and recombination. The direct specific pairing of DNA duplexes with similar…
We propose a stochastic model for gene transcription coupled to DNA supercoiling, where we incorporate the experimental observation that polymerases create supercoiling as they unwind the DNA helix, and that these enzymes bind more…