Helical Disruptions in Small Loops of DNA

[摘要] The thermodynamical stability of DNA minicircles is investigated by means of path integral techniques. Hydrogen bonds between base pairs on complementary strands can be broken by thermal fluctuations and temporary fluctuational openings along the double helix are essential to biological functions such as transcription and replication of the genetic information. Helix unwinding and bubble formation patterns are computed in circular sequences with variable radius in order to analyze the interplay between molecule size and appearance of helical disruptions. The latter are found in minicircles with

[发布机构] School of Science and Technology, CNISM, University of Camerino, Camerino; I-62032, Italy^1

[效力级别] 数学

[关键词] Biological functions;Circular sequences;Complementary strand;Formation pattern;Genetic information;Thermal fluctuations;Thermodynamical;Variable radius