Shear Unzipping of DNA

Abstract

We study theoretically the mechanical failure of a simple model of double stranded DNA under an applied shear. Starting from a more microscopic Hamiltonian that describes a sheared DNA, we arrive at a nonlinear generalization of a ladder model of shear unzipping proposed earlier by deGennes [deGennes P. G. C. R. Acad. Sci., Ser. IV; Phys., Astrophys. 2001, 1505]. Using this model and a combination of analytical and numerical methods, we study the DNA "unzipping" transition when the shearing force exceeds a critical threshold at zero temperature. We also explore the effects of sequence heterogeneity and finite temperature and discuss possible applications to determine the strength of colloidal nanoparticle assemblies functionalized by DNA.

8 pages, 2 column, 6 figures

References in corpus (5)

• Pulling Pinned Polymers and Unzipping DNA
• Single Molecule Statistics and the Polynucleotide Unzipping Transition
• Theory of Melting and the Optical Properties of Gold/DNA Nanocomposites
• Phase Transition of DNA-Linked Gold Nanoparticle
• Disorder in DNA-Linked Gold Nanoparticle Assemblies

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Force-induced rupture of a DNA duplex
• Coarse-grained simulations of DNA overstretching
• The thermal denaturation of Peyrard-Bishop model with an external potential
• Force induced melting of the constrained DNA
• Effect of shear force on the separation of double stranded DNA
• Statistical Mechanics of DNA Rupture: Theory and Simulations
• Shear unzipping of double stranded DNA