2004/03/09 by Alex Evilevitch, A. Evilevitch, Martin Castelnovo +9
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Environmental Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques #Bacteriophages and microbial interactions #Biological Physics (physics.bio-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #RNA Interference and Gene Delivery #physics.bio-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.physics/0403057
15 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in J. Phys. Chem B
arxiv created 2004/03/09 · openalex publication_date 2004/03/09 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We discuss how a balance can be established between the force acting to eject DNA from viral capsids and the force resisting its entry into a colloidal suspension which mimics the host cell cytoplasm. The ejection force arises from the energy stored in the capsid as a consequence of the viral genome (double-stranded DNA) being strongly bent and crowded on itself. The resisting force is associated with the osmotic pressure exerted by the colloidal particles in the host solution. Indeed, recent experimental work has demonstrated that the extent of ejection can be progressively limited by increasing the external osmotic pressure; at a sufficiently high pressure the ejection is completely suppressed. We outline here a theoritical analysis that allows a determination of the internal (capsid) pressure by examining the different relations between force and pressure inside and outside the capsid, using the experimentally measured position of the force balance.