title: Phase behavior of columnar DNA assemblies.
abstract: The interaction between two stiff parallel DNA molecules depends not only on the distance between their axes but also on their azimuthal orientation. The positional and orientational order in columnar B-DNA assemblies in solution is investigated, on the basis of the electrostatic pair potential that takes into account DNA helical symmetry and the amount and distribution of adsorbed counterions. A phase diagram obtained by lattice sums predicts a variety of positionally and azimuthally ordered phases and bundling transitions strongly depending on the counterion adsorption patterns.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Theoretische Physik II, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Harreis
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kornyshev
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Likos
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Löwen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sutmann
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation
chemical_list: D004247:DNA