Asymmetric elastic rod model for DNA

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2009 Jul;80(1 Pt 1):011919. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.80.011919. Epub 2009 Jul 24.

Abstract

In this paper we consider the anharmonic corrections to the anisotropic elastic rod model for DNA. Our model accounts for the difference between the bending energies of positive and negative rolls, which comes from the asymmetric structure of the DNA molecule. We will show that the model can explain the high flexibility of DNA at small length scales, as well as kink formation at high deformation limit.

MeSH terms

  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • DNA / metabolism
  • Elasticity*
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Temperature

Substances

  • DNA