Pseudo-RNA with parallel aligned single-strands and periodic base sequence as a new universality class

2024/09/16 by R. P. Dengler, Dengler, R.
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Biological Physics (physics.bio-ph) #DNA and Nucleic Acid Chemistry #FOS: Physical sciences #RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms #Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) #Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2409.10158

openalex publication_date 2024/09/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

We investigate a field theory for RNA-like polymers with periodic base sequence GCGCG..., where only single-strands aligned in the same direction form double strands. The field theory is derived from a lattice model that incorporates excluded volume effects, base sequence, and temperature dependent renaturation/denaturation. The artificial directionality leads to a novel universality class, not related to conventional branched polymers and Lee-Yang field theory. This universality class is unstable against natural pairing, where oppositely aligned single-strands form double strands. The denaturation/renaturation transition is a continuous crossover between two φ_n=0⁴ critical points and the critical point of the new universality class.

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