DNA-condensation, redissolution and mesocrystals induced by tetravalent counterions

Abstract

The distance-resolved effective interaction potential between two parallel DNA molecules is calculated by computer simulations with explicit tetravalent counterions and monovalent salt. Adding counterions first yields an attractive minimum in the potential at short distances which then disappears in favor of a shallower minimum at larger separations. The resulting phase diagram includes a DNA-condensation and redissolution transition and a stable mesocrystal with an intermediate lattice constant for high counterion concentration.

arXiv comment4 pages, 4 figures

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Cited by in corpus (4)

• Chain morphology, swelling exponent, persistence length, like-charge attraction, and charge distribution around a chain in polyelectrolyte solutions: effects of salt concentration and ion size studied by molecular dynamics simulations
• Effect of chain stiffness on ion distributions around a polyelectrolyte in multivalent salt solutions
• DNA condensation and redissolution: Interaction between overcharged DNA molecules
• Effect of interaction shape on the condensed DNA toroid