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Analysis of the ring‐closure probabilities of isotropic wormlike chains: Application to duplex DNA
Author(s) -
Hagerman Paul J.
Publication year - 1985
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.360241004
Subject(s) - persistence length , chain (unit) , monte carlo method , isotropy , ring (chemistry) , chemistry , closure (psychology) , dna , molecular physics , duplex (building) , statistical physics , thermodynamics , physics , optics , quantum mechanics , statistics , mathematics , molecule , biochemistry , organic chemistry , economics , market economy
The configurational properties of an isotropically bendable wormlike chain have been investigated using a Monte Carlo approach. In particular, radial distributions for end‐to‐end separation, ring closure probabilities, and the angular correlation of the two ends of the chain have all been determined as a function of the contour length of the chain. The results of this analysis, when applied to the data of Shore et al. [(1981) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78 , 4833–4837] for the length dependence of ring closure for doublehelical DNA, yields a value for the persistence length of DNA in remarkable agreement with earlier hydrodynamic studies.