Modelling Disorder: the Cases of Wetting and DNA Denaturation

Abstract

We study the effect of the composition of the genetic sequence on the melting temperature of double stranded DNA, using some simple analytically solvable models proposed in the framework of the wetting problem. We review previous work on disordered versions of these models and solve them when there were not preexistent solutions. We check the solutions with Monte Carlo simulations and transfer matrix numerical calculations. We present numerical evidence that suggests that the logarithmic corrections to the critical temperature due to disorder, previously found in RSOS models, apply more generally to ASOS and continuous models. The agreement between the theoretical models and experimental data shows that, in this context, disorder should be the crucial ingredient of any model while other aspects may be kept very simple, an approach that can be useful for a wider class of problems. Our work has also implications for the existence of correlations in DNA sequences.

Final published version. Title and discussion modified. 6 pages, 3 figures

References in corpus (6)

• The structure and function of complex networks
• General non-existence theorem for phase transitions in one-dimensional systems with short range interactions, and physical examples of such transitions
• Theory of Bubble Nucleation and Cooperativity in DNA Melting
• Can one predict DNA Transcription Start Sites by studying bubbles?
• Apparent phase transitions in finite one-dimensional sine-Gordon lattices
• Equilibrium roughening transition in a 1D modified sine-Gordon model

Cited by in corpus (6)

• The depinning transition in presence of disorder: a toy model
• Theory of force-extension curve for modular proteins and DNA hairpins
• Dependence on temperature and GC content of bubble length distributions in DNA
• Simplified Langevin approach to the Peyrard-Bishop-Dauxois model of DNA
• Theoretical and Experimental Investigations of DNA Open States
• Renormalisation group determination of the order of the DNA denaturation transition