title: Modelling extreme stretching of DNA.
abstract: Molecular modelling with Jumna is used to study extreme stretching of the DNA double helix. The results, which correlate well with recent nanomanipulation experiments, show how the double helix can be extended to twice its normal length before its base pairs break. Depending on the way the duplex is stretched two types of conformation can occur, either an unwound flat ribbon or a narrow fibre with negatively inclined base pairs. The energetics of both types of deformation are similar and existing structures show that at least the flat ribbon form can exist locally under biological conditions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lebrun
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lavery
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry; D004548:Elasticity; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation
chemical_list: D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004247:DNA