title: Anomalous dynamics of DNA hairpin folding.
abstract: By means of computer simulations of a coarse-grained DNA model we show that the DNA hairpin zippering dynamics is anomalous; i.e., the characteristic time τ scales nonlinearly with N, the hairpin length, τ ∼ N(α) with α>1. This is in sharp contrast to the prediction of the zipper model for which τ ∼ N. We show that the anomalous dynamics originates from an increase in the friction during zippering due to the tension built in the closing strands. From a simple polymer model we get α = 1+ν ≈ 1.59 with ν being the Flory exponent, a result which is in agreement with the simulations. We discuss transition path times data where such effects should be detected.
authors.affiliation: KU Leuven, Institute for Theoretical Physics, Celestijnenlaan 200D, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Frederickx
authors.affiliation: KU Leuven, Institute for Theoretical Physics, Celestijnenlaan 200D, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: In't Veld
authors.affiliation: KU Leuven, Institute for Theoretical Physics, Celestijnenlaan 200D, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carlon
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation
chemical_list: D004247:DNA