How are small ions involved in the compaction of DNA molecules?
How are small ions involved in the compaction of DNA molecules?
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DOI：
10.1016/j.colsurfb.2006.10.040
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发表时间：
2007-04-15
影响因子：
5.8
通讯作者：
Yoshikawa, Kenichi
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Iwaki, Takafumi;Saito, Takuya;Yoshikawa, Kenichi
DNA是一种遗传物质，存在于地球上的所有生命中。DNA由四种类型的核苷酸亚基组成，形成双螺旋一维聚电解质链。如果我们关注微观分子结构，DNA是一个刚性的棒状分子。另一方面，随着粗粒化，由于热涨落，长链DNA在整个分子上表现出波动行为。由于其半柔性的性质，单个巨型DNA分子在高阶结构中经历了一个大的离散转变。在这种折叠到致密状态的转变中，溶液中的小离子具有关键作用，因为DNA是高度带电的。在这篇文章中，我们解释了DNA紧凑的特征，同时特别注意小离子的作用，与紧凑产生的各种单链形态有关。(C)2006爱思唯尔B.V.保留所有权利。
DNA is a genetic material found in all life on Earth. DNA is composed of four types of nucleotide subunits, and forms a double-helical one-dimensional polyelectrolyte chain. If we focus on the microscopic molecular structure, DNA is a rigid rod-like molecule. On the other hand, with coarse graining, a long-chain DNA exhibits fluctuating behavior over the whole molecule due to thermal fluctuation. Owe to its semiflexible nature, individual giant DNA molecule undergoes a large discrete transition in the higher-order structure. In this folding transition into a compact state, small ions in the solution have a critical effect, since DNA is highly charged. In the present article, we interpret the characteristic features of DNA compaction while paying special attention to the role of small ions, in relation to a variety of single-chain morphologies generated as a result of compaction. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.