Discontinuities at the DNA supercoiling transition. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • While slowly turning the ends of a single molecule of DNA at constant applied force, a discontinuity was recently observed at the supercoiling transition when a small plectoneme is suddenly formed. This can be understood as an abrupt transition into a state in which stretched and plectonemic DNA coexist. We argue that there should be discontinuities in both the extension and the torque at the transition and provide experimental evidence for both. To predict the sizes of these discontinuities and how they change with the overall length of DNA, we organize a phenomenological theory for the coexisting plectonemic state in terms of four parameters. We also test supercoiling theories, including our own elastic rod simulation, finding discrepancies with experiment that can be understood in terms of the four coexisting state parameters.

publication date

  • October 15, 2009

Research

keywords

  • DNA, Superhelical
  • Models, Molecular

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC5515232

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 70350534421

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1103/PhysRevE.80.040901

PubMed ID

  • 19905264

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 80

issue

  • 4 Pt 1