Softening of DNA near Melting as Disappearance of an Emergent Property

Abstract

Near the melting transition the bending elastic constant, $\kappa$, an emergent property of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), is shown not to follow the rod-like scaling for small length $N$. The reduction in $\kappa$ with temperature is determined by the denatured bubbles for a continuous transition, e.g., when the two strands are gaussian, but by the broken bonds near the open end in a Y-like configuration for a first-order transition as for strands with excluded volume interactions. In the latter case, a lever rule is operational implying a phase coexistence although dsDNA is known to be a single phase.

arXiv comment5 pages, 5 figures, supplementary material

References in corpus (7)

• Exact theory of kinkable elastic polymers
• Roles of stiffness and excluded volume in DNA denaturation
• A Simple Model for the DNA Denaturation Transition
• Polymer chain stiffness versus excluded volume: A Monte Carlo study of the crossover towards the wormlike chain model
• Flory theory for Polymers
• Thermal Denaturation of Fluctuating DNA Driven by Bending Entropy
• Rigidity of Melting DNA

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Elasticity of a DNA chain dotted with bubbles under force
• DNA melting in poor solvent
• DNA Unzipping Transition
• Influence of Media Disorder on DNA Melting: A Monte Carlo Study
• Large bubble drives melting in circular DNA
• Adsorption of melting deoxyribonucleic acid