Pause point spectra in DNA constant-force unzipping.

ABSTRACT: Under constant applied force, the separation of double-stranded DNA into two single strands is known to proceed through a series of pauses and jumps. Given experimental traces of constant-force unzipping, we present a method whereby the locations of pause points can be extracted in the form of a pause point spectrum. A simple theoretical model of DNA constant-force unzipping is presented, which generates theoretical pause point spectra through Monte Carlo simulation of the unzipping process. The locations of peaks in the experimental and theoretical pause point spectra are found to be nearly coincident below 6000 basepairs for unzipping the bacteriophage lambda-genome. The model only requires the sequence, temperature, and a set of empirical basepair binding and stacking energy parameters,

SUBMITTER: Weeks JD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1305371 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature