Dresden 2009 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 7: Poster I

BP 7.55: Poster

Monday, March 23, 2009, 17:45–20:00, P3

Two dimensional semiflexible polymer rings — •Fabian Drube, Karen Alim, and Erwin Frey — Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics and Center for NanoScience, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstrasse 37, D-80333 München, Germany

The shape of DNA plays a crucial role in many biological processes like protein-DNA interaction. Especially circular DNA shows interesting shape characteristics due to its geometrical constraint. While measuring the three dimensional structure of DNA is not feasible at the moment, recently, circular DNA on a mica surface has been studied experimentally [1]. Comparing these data with the wormlike chain model reveals that topological self-avoidance effects are substantial. We introduce a novel tube-like model of semiflexible polymers to account for excluded volume effects. With extensive Monte-Carlo simulations we quantify the ensuing conformations of circular DNA and compare those with available experimental data.

[1] G. Witz, K. Rechendorff, J. Adamcik, and G. Dietler, Conformation of circular DNA in two dimensions, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 148103 (2008)