Can a double stranded DNA be unzipped by pulling a single strand?: phases of adsorbed DNA.
We study the unzipping of a double stranded DNA (dsDNA) by applying an external force on a single strand while leaving the other strand free. We find that the dsDNA can be unzipped to two single strands if the external force exceeds a critical value. We obtain the phase diagram, which is found to be different from the phase diagram of unzipping by pulling both the strands in opposite directions. In the presence of an attractive surface near DNA, the phase diagram gets modified drastically and shows richer surprises including a critical end point and a triple point.
Department of Theoretical Physics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1 Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005 India. rkapri@theory.tifr.res.in
Rajeev
R
Kapri
D000327:Adsorption; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D044367:Phase Transition; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013816:Thermodynamics
D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004247:DNA