Statistical mechanics of base stacking and pairing in DNA melting
Abstract
We introduce a new statistical mechanics model which fits a wide range of experimental data on DNA melting. Base stacking and pairing are explicitly introduced as distinct degrees of freedom, within an Ising and Zipper model approach. Unlike previous approaches, this simple model describes thermal denaturation of DNA secondary structure for both single stranded (ss) and double stranded (ds) DNA in the whole experimentally accessible temperature range. We present new experimental measurements which allow a stringent comparison between model and experiment.
- Publication:
-
APS March Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- March 2004
- Bibcode:
- 2004APS..MAR.S8004I