ISSN:
1573-0689
Keywords:
Dissociation equilibrium
;
non-bonded interactions
;
melting
;
nonlinear models
;
oligonucleotides
;
short duplex DNA
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Physics
Notes:
Abstract We compare experimental melting curves of short heterogeneous DNA oligomers with theoretical curves derived from statistical mechanics. Partition functions are computed with the one-dimensional Peyrard-Bishop (PB) Hamiltonian, already used in the study of the melting of long DNA chains. Working with short chains we take into account, in the computations, not only the breaking of the interstrand hydrogen bonds, but also the complete dissociation of the double helix into separate single strands. Since this dissociation equilibrium is of general relevance, independent of the particular microscopic model, we give some details of its treatment. We discuss how the non bonded three-dimensional interactions, not explicitly considered in the one-dimensional PB model, are taken into account through the treatment of the dissociation equilibrium. We also evaluate the relevance of the dissociation as a function of the chain length.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1005166612156
Permalink