Folding transition of a single semiflexible polyelectrolyte chain through toroidal bundling of loop structures

The Journal of Chemical Physics
Takafumi IwakiK Yoshikawa

Abstract

We consider how the DNA coil-globule transition progresses via the formation of a toroidal ring structure. We formulate a theoretical model of this transition as a phenomenon in which an unstable single loop generated as a result of thermal fluctuation is stabilized through association with other loops along a polyelectrolyte chain. An essential property of the chain under consideration is that it follows a wormlike chain model. A toroidal bundle of loop structures is characterized by a radius and a winding number. The statistical properties of such a chain are discussed in terms of the free energy as a function of the fraction of unfolded segments. We also present an actual experimental observation of the coil-globule transition of single giant DNA molecules, T4 DNA (165.5 kbp), with spermidine (3+), where intrachain phase segregation appears at a NaCl concentration of more than 10 mM. Both the theory and experiments lead to two important points. First, the transition from a partially folded state to a completely folded state has the characteristics of a continuous transition, while the transition from an unfolded state to a folded state has the characteristics of a first-order phase transition. Second, the appearance of a par...Continue Reading

References

Jan 29, 1976·Nature·L C Gosule, J A Schellman
Aug 1, 1971·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·L S Lerman
Dec 25, 1980·Journal of Molecular Biology·J Widom, R L Baldwin
Nov 1, 1982·Biopolymers·C B Post, B H Zimm
Dec 20, 1994·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·V S PandeT Tanaka
Jun 30, 1993·Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications·N V HudR Balhorn
Jun 1, 1996·Current Opinion in Structural Biology·V A Bloomfield
Apr 15, 1996·Physical Review Letters·K YoshikawaA R Khokhlov
Dec 6, 2001·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·N V Hud, K H Downing
Apr 10, 2003·Journal of the American Chemical Society·Anatoly A ZinchenkoKenichi Yoshikawa
Mar 3, 2005·The Journal of Chemical Physics·Naomi MiyazawaRaoul Zana
Sep 24, 2005·Journal of Cell Science·Olga MudrakAndrei Zalensky
Oct 4, 2005·Physical Review Letters·Sumithra Sankararaman, John F Marko
Feb 3, 2006·The European Physical Journal. E, Soft Matter·H Schiessel

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Aug 7, 2010·The Journal of Chemical Physics·Takuya Saito, Kenichi Yoshikawa
Dec 26, 2015·Nucleic Acids Research·Baeckkyoung SungFrançoise Livolant
Dec 18, 2013·Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP·Andrey G Cherstvy, Eugene P Petrov
Jan 20, 2018·Soft Matter·Sergey V PyrlinMarta M D Ramos
Sep 21, 2011·Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics·Yuji HiguchiTakafumi Iwaki

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
fluorescence microscopy

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Cajal Bodies & Gems

Cajal bodies or coiled bodies are dense foci of coilin protein. Gemini of Cajal bodies, or gems, are microscopically similar to Cajal bodies. It is believed that Cajal bodies play important roles in RNA processing while gems assist the Cajal bodies. Find the latest research on Cajal bodies and gems here.