Regensburg 2010 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 4: Statistical Physics of Biological Systems II (joint BP, DY)

BP 4.3: Talk

Monday, March 22, 2010, 14:45–15:00, H45

Prokaryotic Chromosome Organization in the Context of Entropy, Confinement and Tethering Interactions — •Miriam Fritsche and Dieter W. Heermann — Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 19, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany

Prokaryotic chromosomes are physically organized and condensed into an intricately structured DNA-protein complex called a nucleoid. The large-scale physical structure might arise from protein mediated interactions that can form both inter and intra-chromosome tethers as well as anchoring the chromosome to the membrane of the nucleoid or to protein scaffolds [1]. Motivated by recent experiments that capture E. coli nucleoid structure using three spectrally distinct, fluorescently-labeled genetic loci [2], we analyze single-locus and two-locus positioning distributions in the theoretical framework of a coarse-grained polymer model taking into account excluded volume, confining geometries as well as tethering interactions therewith shedding light into the mechanisms governing E.coli nucleoid structure between replication cycles.

[1] W.F. Marshall, Current Biology 12, 158 (2002)

[2] P.A. Wiggins, K. Cheveralls, J.S. Martin, R. Lintner, J. Kondev,

private communication