Electrostatic interactions in biological systems

应建立复杂生物系统中的静电相互作用理论。研究的现象包括静电驱动的DNA与脂质膜的结合，DNA-蛋白质相互作用和识别的物理基础，促进蛋白质在DNA上的扩散，蛋白质诱导的DNA成环和DNA环化的静电，染色质纤维中的DNA致密化，核小体-核小体静电相互作用，病毒衣壳内的DNA缠绕，以及DNA缩合的某些方面。在这些系统中的DNA的静电和机械性能的影响将被考虑。作者以前已经发展了处理DNA螺旋之间静电相互作用的理论背景。我们现在计划将这些知识和最近的发展应用于描述复杂的高阶DNA结构。该项目的主要目的是更好地了解DNA组装背后的物理机制，染色质纤维和病毒中的DNA包装，以及DNA与DNA结合蛋白和细胞膜的相互作用。

The theory of electrostatic interactions in complex biological systems should be established. The phenomena to be examined include electrostatically-driven DNA binding to lipid membranes, physical basis for DNA-protein interaction and recognition, facilitated protein diffusion on DNA, electrostatics of protein-induced DNA looping and DNA cyclization, DNA compactification in chromatin fibers, nucleosome-nucleosome electrostatic interactions, DNA spooling inside viral capsids, and some aspects of polyelectrolyte condensation. The influence of DNA electrostatic and mechanical properties in these systems will be considered. Theoretical background for the treatment of electrostatic interactions between DNA helices has been developed by the author previously. We plan now to apply this knowledge and recent developments to description of complex higher-order DNA structures. The main aim of the project is to achieve a better understanding of physical mechanisms behind DNA assembly, DNA packaging in chromatin fibers and viruses, as well as DNA interactions with DNA-binding proteins and cellular membranes.