IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/phsmap/v321y2003i1p170-180.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

B- to S-form transition in double-stranded DNA with basepair interactions

Author

Listed:
  • Lai, Pik-Yin
  • Zhou, Zicong

Abstract

When a DNA in its nature double-helical state is stretched by an external force, its length undergoes a sharp extension from the B-form to the 1.7 times elongated S-form. This phenomenon is investigated in the framework of a model of a double-stranded with basepair interactions and bending. Shape equations governing the structure of the DNA under external forces and torques are derived using a classical mechanical approach. The first-order nature of the B- to S-form transition is revealed clearly in terms of an effective potential with a barrier separating these two states. All the structural properties of the DNA in both forms can be calculated in detail. The configurations of the double strands, relative extension, amount of self-untwisting and the threshold stretching force of the DNA under stretched are obtained and compare well with experimental observations.

Suggested Citation

  • Lai, Pik-Yin & Zhou, Zicong, 2003. "B- to S-form transition in double-stranded DNA with basepair interactions," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 321(1), pages 170-180.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:321:y:2003:i:1:p:170-180
    DOI: 10.1016/S0378-4371(02)01776-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378437102017764
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only. Journal offers the option of making the article available online on Science direct for a fee of $3,000
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/S0378-4371(02)01776-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Biopolymer; DNA;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:321:y:2003:i:1:p:170-180. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/physica-a-statistical-mechpplications/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.