PROBABILITY OF DNA KNOTTING AND THE EFFECTIVE DIAMETER OF THE DNA DOUBLE HELIX

被引：354

作者：

RYBENKOV, VV ^{[1
]}

COZZARELLI, NR ^{[1
]}

VOLOGODSKII, AV ^{[1
]}

机构：

[1] INST MOLEC GENET,MOSCOW 123182,RUSSIA

来源：

PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | 1993年 / 90卷 / 11期

关键词：

DNA TOPOLOGY; DNA EXCLUDED VOLUME; POLYELECTROLYTES;

D O I：

10.1073/pnas.90.11.5307

中图分类号：

O [数理科学和化学]; P [天文学、地球科学]; Q [生物科学]; N [自然科学总论];

学科分类号：

07 ; 0710 ; 09 ;

摘要：

During the random cyclization of long polymer chains, knots of different types are formed. We investigated experimentally the distribution of knot types produced by random cyclization of phage P4 DNA via its long cohesive ends. The simplest knots (trefoils) predominated, but more complex knots were also detected. The fraction of knots greatly diminished with decreasing solution Na+ concentration. By comparing these experimental results with computer simulations of knotting probability, we calculated the effective diameter of the DNA double helix. This important excluded-volume parameter is a measure of the electrostatic repulsion between segments of DNA molecules. The calculated effective DNA diameter is a sensitive function of electrolyte concentration and is several times larger than the geometric diameter in solutions of low monovalent cation concentration.

引用

页码：5307 / 5311

页数：5

共 33 条

[1] LYSOGENIC CONVERSION BY BACTERIOPHAGE P2 RESULTING IN INCREASED SENSITIVITY OF ESCHERICHIA COLI TO 5-FLUORODEOXYURIDINE [J].