Related papers: Conformations of Linear DNA
The elasticity of DNA catenanes, i.e. multiply linked DNA rings, is investigated using the Gauss invariant as a minimal model for topology conservation. An effective elastic free energy as a function of the distance $R$ between segments…
In the nuclei of eukaryotic cells, DNA is packaged through several levels of compaction in an orderly retrievable way that enables the correct regulation of gene expression. The functional dynamics of this assembly involves the unwinding of…
DNA nanotubes are tubular structures composed of DNA crossover molecules. We present a bottom up approach for construction and characterization of these structures. Various possible topologies of nanotubes are constructed such as 6-helix,…
The denaturation transition of circular DNA is studied within a Poland-Scheraga type approach, generalized to account for the fact that the total linking number (LK), which measures the number of windings of one strand around the other, is…
We present a nonlinear dynamical model for DNA thermal denaturation, which is based on the finite stacking enthalpies used in thermodynamical nearest-neighbour calculations. Within this model, the finiteness of stacking enthalpies is shown…
The temperature dependence of DNA flexibility is studied in the presence of stretching and unzipping forces. Two classes of models are considered. In one case the origin of elasticity is entropic due to the polymeric correlations, and in…
The linking number (topological entanglement) and the writhe (geometrical entanglement) of a model of circular double stranded DNA undergoing a thermal denaturation transition are investigated by Monte Carlo simulations. By allowing the…
We study the compression and extension dynamics of a DNA-like polymer interacting with non-DNA binding and DNA-binding proteins, by means of computer simulations. The geometry we consider is inspired by recent experiments probing the…
We use a coarse-grained molecular model to study the self-assembly process of complexes of cationic and neutral lipids with DNA molecules ("lipoplexes") - a promising nonviral carrier of DNA for gene therapy. We identify the resulting…
A model for the motion of ring-shaped DNA in a gel is introduced and studied by numerical simulations and a mean-field approximation. The ring motion is mediated by finger-shaped loops (hernias) that move in an amoeba-like fashion around…
DNA stretching experiments are usually interpreted using the worm-like chain model; the persistence length A appearing in the model is then interpreted as the elastic stiffness of the double helix. In fact the persistence length obtained by…
Molecular topology of polymers plays a key role in determining their physical properties. We studied herein the topological effects on the static and dynamic properties of a 2D catenated network of DNA rings called a kinetoplast.…
The dynamic behavior of semi-dilute polymer solutions is governed by an interplay between solvent quality, concentration, molecular weight, and flow type. Semi-dilute solutions are characterized by large fluctuations in concentration,…
We study a discrete model of an heterogeneous elastic line with internal disorder, submitted to thermal fluctuations. The monomers are connected through random springs with independent and identically distributed elastic constants drawn…
The complex mechanisms governing charge migration in DNA oligomers reflect the rich structural and electronic properties of the molecule of life. Controlling the mechanical stability of DNA nanowires in charge transport experiments is a…
The thermodynamic properties of DNA circular molecules are investigated by a new path integral computational method which treats in the real space the fundamental forces stabilizing the molecule. The base pair and stacking contributions to…
Single-molecule experiments provide new insights into biological processes hitherto not accessible by measurements performed on bulk systems. We report on a study of the kinetics of a triple-branch DNA molecule with four conformational…
From a nanoscience perspective, cellular processes and their reduced in vitro imitations provide extraordinary examples for highly robust few or single molecule reaction pathways. A prime example are biochemical reactions involving DNA…
Nanoparticles tethered with DNA strands are promising building blocks for bottom-up nanotechnology, and a theoretical understanding is important for future development. Here we build on approaches developed in polymer physics to provide…
We consider the links between nonlinear dynamics and thermodynamics in the framework of a simple nonlinear model for DNA. Two analyses of the phase transition, either with the transfer integral approach or by considering the instability of…