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Increasing viscosity of E. coli chromatin with increasing shear
Author(s) -
Thompson Douglas S.,
Hays John B.,
Gill Stanley J.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
biopolymers
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.556
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1097-0282
pISSN - 0006-3525
DOI - 10.1002/bip.1969.360070413
Subject(s) - dilatant , chemistry , thixotropy , chromatin , shear (geology) , viscosity , context (archaeology) , newtonian fluid , dna , thermodynamics , biophysics , chemical physics , chemical engineering , mechanics , biochemistry , composite material , physics , materials science , paleontology , biology , engineering
We have observed that the viscosity of a solution of E. coli chromatin increases as the shear to which the solution is subjected is suddenly increased. This dilatant effect is opposite to the usual thixotropic non‐Newtonian effects that are observed in DNA solutions. We suggest that the observed dilatancy may be explained in terms of shear‐induced aggregation of large DNA molecules. Conditions for aggregation are discussed in the context of the “cluster theory” of condensation.