Statistics of confined polymers and the melting of a DNA spool

D. Marenduzzo

doi:10.1209/0295-5075/85/38005

Statistics of confined polymers and the melting of a DNA spool

D. Marenduzzo

School of Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Using Monte Carlo simulations, we analyse the statistical properties of a semiflexible polymer strongly confined in space into an ellipsoidal hull. We show evidence of a sharp crossover or of a phase transition, between ordered structures such as spools, and disordered ones, as a function of the persistence length of the chain. We discuss our results in relation to the packing of double-stranded DNA molecules inside bacteriophage capsids, a biological system which our results suggest is positioned close to the crossover/transition point. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2009

Original language	English
Article number	38005
Pages (from-to)	-
Number of pages	6
Journal	European Physical Society Letters (EPL)
Volume	85
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/85/38005
Publication status	Published - Feb 2009

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

DOUBLE-STRANDED DNA
VIRAL CAPSIDS
PORTAL MOTOR
BACTERIOPHAGE
DYNAMICS
EJECTION
PACKING
ORGANIZATION
MECHANICS
FORCES

Access to Document

10.1209/0295-5075/85/38005

Cite this

@article{513cba9235ad4fb5972939b44c7f78e5,

title = "Statistics of confined polymers and the melting of a DNA spool",

abstract = "Using Monte Carlo simulations, we analyse the statistical properties of a semiflexible polymer strongly confined in space into an ellipsoidal hull. We show evidence of a sharp crossover or of a phase transition, between ordered structures such as spools, and disordered ones, as a function of the persistence length of the chain. We discuss our results in relation to the packing of double-stranded DNA molecules inside bacteriophage capsids, a biological system which our results suggest is positioned close to the crossover/transition point. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2009",

keywords = "DOUBLE-STRANDED DNA, VIRAL CAPSIDS, PORTAL MOTOR, BACTERIOPHAGE, DYNAMICS, EJECTION, PACKING, ORGANIZATION, MECHANICS, FORCES",

author = "D. Marenduzzo",

year = "2009",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1209/0295-5075/85/38005",

language = "English",

volume = "85",

pages = "--",

journal = "European Physical Society Letters (EPL)",

issn = "0295-5075",

publisher = "IOP Publishing Ltd.",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Statistics of confined polymers and the melting of a DNA spool

AU - Marenduzzo, D.

PY - 2009/2

Y1 - 2009/2

N2 - Using Monte Carlo simulations, we analyse the statistical properties of a semiflexible polymer strongly confined in space into an ellipsoidal hull. We show evidence of a sharp crossover or of a phase transition, between ordered structures such as spools, and disordered ones, as a function of the persistence length of the chain. We discuss our results in relation to the packing of double-stranded DNA molecules inside bacteriophage capsids, a biological system which our results suggest is positioned close to the crossover/transition point. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2009

AB - Using Monte Carlo simulations, we analyse the statistical properties of a semiflexible polymer strongly confined in space into an ellipsoidal hull. We show evidence of a sharp crossover or of a phase transition, between ordered structures such as spools, and disordered ones, as a function of the persistence length of the chain. We discuss our results in relation to the packing of double-stranded DNA molecules inside bacteriophage capsids, a biological system which our results suggest is positioned close to the crossover/transition point. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2009

KW - DOUBLE-STRANDED DNA

KW - VIRAL CAPSIDS

KW - PORTAL MOTOR

KW - BACTERIOPHAGE

KW - DYNAMICS

KW - EJECTION

KW - PACKING

KW - ORGANIZATION

KW - MECHANICS

KW - FORCES

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79051471515&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1209/0295-5075/85/38005

DO - 10.1209/0295-5075/85/38005

M3 - Article

SN - 0295-5075

VL - 85

SP - -

JO - European Physical Society Letters (EPL)

JF - European Physical Society Letters (EPL)

IS - 3

M1 - 38005

ER -

Statistics of confined polymers and the melting of a DNA spool

Abstract

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this