Toroidal structures due to anisotropy of DNA-like molecules.
We suggest that toroidal structures in the state of psi-condensation of DNA may be caused by anisotropy on a meso-scale of several thousand A, the conformation of a DNA-molecule being determined by its elasticity and neutralization of phosphate charge. We model a molecule of B-DNA on an anisotropic elastic rod subject to a torque, and make the numerical simulation of the model that reveals that under appropriate conditions, which may be effected in experimental setting by changing the concentration of polymeric solutions, there are toroidal structures having the size of a few persistence lengths, in agreement with the experimental data. On changing the elastic modulii or characteristics of the counterion layer, we see the toroidal structures turn into the spherical ones. To understand the function of anisotropy it would be interesting to investigate the Z-DNA as regards psi-condensation.
Golo
V L
VL
Department of Mechanics and Mathematics, Moscow State University, Russian Federation.
Kats
E I
EI
Yevdokimov
Y M
YM
D016880:Anisotropy; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D019415:Torque
D004247:DNA