Compression of random coils due to macromolecular crowding.
The conformation of a linear polymer chain is studied as a function of the concentration of a macromolecular crowding agent by neutron scattering. Excluded volume to random coil due to macromolecular crowding in cells is predicted to exert a compressive force that will tend to reduce its size. It is shown that when reducing free volume due to macromolecular crowding, we observe a compression of the polymer chain with a reduction in its radius of gyration of up to approximately 30% and that the effective chain-chain interactions are strongly modified.
Le Coeur
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Laboratoire Léon Brillouin, CEA-CNRS, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
Demé
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Longeville
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D008968:Molecular Conformation; D033363:Neutron Diffraction; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012399:Rotation; D053838:Scattering, Small Angle
D011108:Polymers