Entropic depletion of DNA in triangular nanochannels.
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ABSTRACT: Using Monte Carlo simulations of a touching-bead model of double-stranded DNA, we show that DNA extension is enhanced in isosceles triangular nanochannels (relative to a circular nanochannel of the same effective size) due to entropic depletion in the channel corners. The extent of the enhanced extension depends non-monotonically on both the accessible area of the nanochannel and the apex angle of the triangle. We also develop a metric to quantify the extent of entropic depletion, thereby collapsing the extension data for circular, square, and various triangular nanochannels onto a single master curve for channel sizes in the transition between the Odijk and de Gennes regimes.
SUBMITTER: Reinhart WF
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3598824 | biostudies-other | 2013
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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