title: Polymer reptation and nucleosome repositioning.
abstract: We consider how beads can diffuse along a chain that wraps them, without becoming displaced from the chain; our proposed mechanism is analogous to the reptation of "stored length" in more familiar situations of polymer dynamics. The problem arises in the case of globular aggregates of proteins (histones) that are wound by DNA in the chromosomes of plants and animals; these beads (nucleosomes) are multiply wrapped and yet are able to reposition themselves over long distances, while remaining bound by the DNA chain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schiessel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Widom
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Bruinsma
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Gelbart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D004278:DNA, Superhelical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant; D004278:DNA, Superhelical; D006657:Histones; D009707:Nucleosomes; D004247:DNA