2001/05/14 by Joseph Rudnick, Robijn Bruinsma
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Physics and Astronomy · #DNA and Nucleic Acid Chemistry #Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics #RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms #cond-mat.soft #cond-mat.stat-mech #physics.bio-ph #q-bio.BM
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreve.65.030902
4 pages, 5 figures, RevTeX
arxiv created 2001/05/14 · openalex publication_date 2002/02/13 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
A class of simple statistical mechanical models for DNA melting, first proposed by Poland and Scheraga, has been demonstrated to exhibit a first or second order thermodynamic singularity, notwithstanding the intrinsic one-dimensional nature of the problem. In the present paper we consider the case of circular DNA and show that the inclusion of twist elastic energy in the Poland-Scheraga models leads either to suppression of the thermodynamic singularity or to a weak, third order singularity. Such behavior may also be present in linear DNA under mechanical influences that preclude the release of torsional strain.