Multi-plectoneme phase of double-stranded DNA under torsion

Abstract

We use the worm-like chain model to study supercoiling of DNA under tension and torque. The model reproduces experimental data for a broad range of forces, salt concentrations and contour lengths. We find a plane of first order phase transitions ending in a smeared out line of critical points, the multi-plectoneme phase, which is characterized by a fast twist mediated diffusion of plectonemes and a torque that rises after plectoneme formation with increasing linking number. The discovery of this new phase at the same time resolves the discrepancies between existing models and experiment.

27 pages, 19 figures, submitted to Physical Review E

References in corpus (3)

• Discontinuities at the DNA supercoiling transition
• Exact asymptotic expansions for the cylindrical Poisson-Boltzmann equation
• On the confinement of semiflexible chains under torsion

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Plectoneme tip bubbles: Coupled denaturation and writhing in supercoiled DNA
• Equilibrium Fluctuations of DNA Plectonemes
• Two-Phase Dynamics of DNA Supercoiling based on DNA Polymer Physics
• Self-consistent treatment of electrostatics in molecular DNA braiding through external forces
• Extension, Torque and Supercoiling in Single, Stretched and Twisted DNA Molecules
• On the confinement of semiflexible chains under torsion
• Mechanical response to tension and torque of molecular chains via statistically interacting particles associated with extension, contraction, twist, and supercoiling