Abstract
The conformation of a deoxyribonucleotide unit in a deoxyribonucleic acid molecule can be defined by six angles, each of which specifies the relative orientations between two groups of atoms adjacent to a covalent bond. With the assumption that these atoms are hard spheres with fixed van der Waal radii, conformations are sought to minimize their overlapping. The additional requirement of the polymer having a periodic structure further reduces the allowable conformations.
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Wu, T.T. Periodic conformations of deoxyribonucleic acids. Bulletin of Mathematical Biophysics 30, 687–700 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02476684
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02476684