title: Conformational transformations induced by the charge-curvature interaction at finite temperature.
abstract: The role of thermal fluctuations in the conformational dynamics of a single closed filament is studied. It is shown that, due to the interaction between charges and bending degrees of freedom, initially circular aggregates may undergo transformation to a polygonal shape. The transition occurs in the cases of hardening and softening charge-bending interaction. In the former case the charge and curvature are smoothly distributed along the chain, while in the latter spontaneous kink formation is initiated. The transition to a noncircular conformation is analogous to a phase transition of the second kind.
authors.affiliation: Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics, Metrologichna street 14 B, 01413, Kiev, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Yu B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Gaididei
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gorria
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Christiansen
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Sørensen
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004270:DNA, Circular / Q000737:chemistry*; D003854:Deoxyribonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry; D004548:Elasticity; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D013269:Stochastic Processes; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D004270:DNA, Circular; D003854:Deoxyribonucleotides; D004247:DNA