Abstract
We study the elastic responses of double-(ds) and single-stranded (ss) DNA at external force fields. A double-strand-polymer elastic model is constructed and solved by path integral methods and Monte Carlo simulations to understand the entropic elasticity, cooperative extensibility, and supercoiling property of dsDNA. The good agreement with experiments indicates that short-ranged base-pair stacking interaction is crucial for the stability and the high deformability of dsDNA. Hairpin-coil transition in ssDNA is studied with generating function method. A threshold force is needed to pull the ssDNA hairpin patterns, stabilized by base pairing and base-pair stacking, into random coils. This phase transition is predicted to be of first order for stacking potential higher than some critical level, in accordance with experimental observations.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
S B Smith, Y Cui and C Bustamante,Science 271, 795 (1996)
S B Smith, L Finzi and C Bustamante,Science 258, 1122 (1992)
C Bustamante, J F Marko, E D Siggia and S Smith,Science 265, 1599 (1994)
P Cluzel, A Lebrun, C Heller, R Lavery, J-L Viovy, D Chatenay and F Caron,Science 271, 792 (1996)
T R Strick, J-F Alleman, D Bensimon, A Bensimon and V Croquette,Science 271, 1835 (1996)
T R Strick, J F Allemand, D Bensimon and V Croquette,Biophys. J. 74, 2016 (1998)
C Bustamante, S B Smith, J Liphardt and D Smith,Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. 10, 279 (2000)
G L Wuite, S B Smith, M Young, D Keller and C Bustamante,Nature 404, 103 (2000)
B Maier, D Bensimon and V Croquette,Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 97, 12 002 (2000)
M N Dessinges, B Maier, Y Zhang, M Peliti, D Bensimon and V Croquette,Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 248102 (2002)
M Rief, H Clausen-Schaumann and H E Gaub,Nature Struct. Biol. 6, 346 (1999)
J Liphardt, B Onoa, S B Smith, I J Tinoco and C Bustamante,Science 292, 733 (2001)
W Saenger,Principles of nucleic acid structure (Springer, New York, 1984)
H J Zhou, Y Zhang and Z-C Ou-Yang,Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 4560 (1999)
H J Zhou, Y Zhang and Z-C Ou-Yang,Phys. Rev. E62, 1045 (2000)
J H White,Am. J. Math. 91, 693 (1969)
Y Zhang, H J Zhou and Z-C Ou-Yang,Biophys. J. 78, 1979 (2000)
T R Strick, V Croquette and D Bensimon,Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 95, 579 (1998)
H J Zhou and Z-C Ou-Yang,Mod. Phys. Lett. B13, 999 (1999)
A Montanari and M Mezard,Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 2178 (2001)
H J Zhou and Y Zhang,J. Chem. Phys. 114, 8694 (2001)
S Lifson,J. Chem. Phys. 40, 3705 (1964)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhou, H., Zhang, Y. & Ou-Yang, ZC. The elastic theory of a single DNA molecule. Pramana - J Phys 61, 353–360 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02708315
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02708315