title: Modeling DNA condensation on freestanding cationic lipid membranes.
abstract: Motivated by recent experimental observations of a rapid spontaneous DNA coil-globule transition on freestanding cationic lipid bilayers, we propose simple theoretical models for DNA condensation on cationic lipid membranes. First, for a single DNA rod, we examine the conditions of full wrapping of a cylindrical DNA-like semi-flexible polyelectrolyte by an oppositely charged membrane. Then, for two parallel DNA rods, we self-consistently analyze the shape and the extent of the membrane enveloping them, focusing on membrane elastic deformations and the membrane-DNA embracing angle, which enables us to compute the membrane-mediated DNA-DNA interactions. We examine the effects of the membrane composition and its charge density, which are the experimentally tunable parameters. We show that membrane-driven rod-rod attraction is more pronounced for higher charge densities and for smaller surface tensions of the membrane. Thus, we demonstrate that for a long DNA chain adhered to a cationic lipid membrane, such membrane-induced DNA-DNA attraction can trigger compaction of DNA.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Physics and Astronomy, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24/25, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany. a.cherstvy@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Andrey G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Cherstvy
authors.forename: Eugene P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Petrov
mesh_terms: D002412:Cations / Q000737:chemistry; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular
chemical_list: D002412:Cations; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D004247:DNA