Related papers: Helicase on DNA: A Phase coexistence based mechani…
We investigate the unfolding pathway of a cytosine-rich DNA hairpin structure via Molecular Dynamics simulations. Our results indicate a hidden complexity present in the unfolding process. W e show that this complex behavior arises due to…
Dynamics of topological solitons describing open states in the DNA double helix are studied in the frameworks of the model which takes into account asymmetry of the helix. It is shown that three types of topological solitons can occur in…
The unzipping of a double stranded DNA whose ends are subjected to a time dependent periodic force with frequency $\omega$ and amplitude $G$ is studied using Monte Carlo simulations. We obtain the dynamical order parameter, $Q$, defined as…
The formation of polarized signaling domains on cell membranes is a fundamental example of biological pattern formation. While such patterns resemble structures from equilibrium phase separation, they are intrinsically non-equilibrium,…
Most living systems rely on double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) to store their genetic information and perpetuate themselves. This biological information has been considered the main target of evolution. However, here we show that symmetries and…
Nanotechnology has revolutionized the fabrication of hybrid species with tailored functionalities. A milestone in this field is the DNA conjugation of nanoparticles, introduced almost 30 years ago, which typically exploits the affinity…
Gene expression and regulation rely on an apparently finely tuned set of reactions between some proteins and DNA. Such DNA-binding proteins have to find specific sequences on very long DNA molecules and they mostly do so in absence of any…
Many proteins interact with and deform double-stranded DNA in cells. Single-molecule experiments have studied the elasticity of DNA with helix-deforming proteins, including proteins that bend DNA. These experiments increase the need for…
We propose a protein model based on a hierarchy of constraints that force the protein to follow certain pathways when changing conformation. The model exhibits a first order phase transition, cooperativity and is exactly solvable. It also…
The intrinsic double helix conformation of the DNA strands is known to be the key ingredient of control of the electric current through the DNA by the perpendicular (gate) electric field. We show theoretically that Bloch oscillations in the…
While the statistical mechanical description of DNA has a long tradition, renewed interest in DNA melting from a physics perspective is nourished by measurements of the fluctuation dynamics of local denaturation bubbles by single molecule…
When two periodic potentials compete in materials, one may adopt the other, which straightforwardly generates topological defects. Of particular interest are domain walls in charge-, dipole-, and spin-ordered systems, which govern…
The sequence-dependent elasticity of double-helical DNA on a nm length scale can be captured by the rigid base-pair model, whose strains are the relative position and orientation of adjacent base-pairs. Corresponding elastic potentials have…
Single molecule experiments on single- and double stranded DNA have sparked a renewed interest in the force-extension of polymers. The extensible Freely Jointed Chain (FJC) model is frequently invoked to explain the observed behavior of…
Reprogramming is a process of transforming differentiated cells into pluripotent stem cells by inducing specific modifying factors in the cells. Reprogramming is a non-equilibrium process involving a collaboration at levels separated by…
Concentrated solutions of short blunt-ended DNA duplexes, down to 6 base pairs, are known to order into the nematic liquid crystal phase. This self-assembly is due to the stacking interactions between the duplex terminals that promotes…
The cations, in form of salt, present in the solution containing DNA play a crucial role in the opening of two strands of DNA. We use a simple non linear model and investigate the role of these cations on the mechanical unzipping of DNA.…
In bulk ferroelectric liquid crystals, the molecular director twists in a helix. In narrow cells, this helix can be unwound by an applied electric field or by boundary effects. To describe helix unwinding as a function of both electric…
This paper deals with a concept for a reconfigurable structure bio-inspired by the cell wall architecture of euglenids, a family of unicellular protists, and based on the relative sliding of adjacent strips. Uniform sliding turns a cylinder…
DNA looping plays a fundamental role in a wide variety of biological processes, providing the backbone for long range interactions on DNA. Here we develop the first model for DNA looping by an arbitrarily large number of proteins and solve…