1
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Harju J, Broedersz CP. Physical models of bacterial chromosomes. Mol Microbiol 2024. [PMID: 38578226 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
The interplay between bacterial chromosome organization and functions such as transcription and replication can be studied in increasing detail using novel experimental techniques. Interpreting the resulting quantitative data, however, can be theoretically challenging. In this minireview, we discuss how connecting experimental observations to biophysical theory and modeling can give rise to new insights on bacterial chromosome organization. We consider three flavors of models of increasing complexity: simple polymer models that explore how physical constraints, such as confinement or plectoneme branching, can affect bacterial chromosome organization; bottom-up mechanistic models that connect these constraints to their underlying causes, for instance, chromosome compaction to macromolecular crowding, or supercoiling to transcription; and finally, data-driven methods for inferring interpretable and quantitative models directly from complex experimental data. Using recent examples, we discuss how biophysical models can both deepen our understanding of how bacterial chromosomes are structured and give rise to novel predictions about bacterial chromosome organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janni Harju
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Chase P Broedersz
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Physics, Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich, Munich, Germany
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2
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Yu S, Chu R, Wu G, Meng X. A Novel Fractional Brownian Dynamics Method for Simulating the Dynamics of Confined Bottle-Brush Polymers in Viscoelastic Solution. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:524. [PMID: 38399901 PMCID: PMC10891538 DOI: 10.3390/polym16040524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In crowded fluids, polymer segments can exhibit anomalous subdiffusion due to the viscoelasticity of the surrounding environment. Previous single-particle tracking experiments revealed that such anomalous diffusion in complex fluids (e.g., in bacterial cytoplasm) can be described by fractional Brownian motion (fBm). To investigate how the viscoelastic media affects the diffusive behaviors of polymer segments without resolving single crowders, we developed a novel fractional Brownian dynamics method to simulate the dynamics of polymers under confinement. In this work, instead of using Gaussian random numbers ("white Gaussian noise") to model the Brownian force as in the standard Brownian dynamics simulations, we introduce fractional Gaussian noise (fGn) in our homemade fractional Brownian dynamics simulation code to investigate the anomalous diffusion of polymer segments by using a simple "bottle-brush"-type polymer model. The experimental results of the velocity autocorrelation function and the exponent that characterizes the subdiffusion of the confined polymer segments can be reproduced by this simple polymer model in combination with fractional Gaussian noise (fGn), which mimics the viscoelastic media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Yu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China; (R.C.); (G.W.); (X.M.)
| | - Ruizhi Chu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China; (R.C.); (G.W.); (X.M.)
- Key Laboratory of Coal-Based CO2 Capture and Geological Storage, China University of Mining & Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Guoguang Wu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China; (R.C.); (G.W.); (X.M.)
- Key Laboratory of Coal-Based CO2 Capture and Geological Storage, China University of Mining & Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Xianliang Meng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China; (R.C.); (G.W.); (X.M.)
- Key Laboratory of Coal-Based CO2 Capture and Geological Storage, China University of Mining & Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
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3
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Morrison G, Thirumalai D. Scaling regimes for wormlike chains confined to cylindrical surfaces under tension. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2024; 47:6. [PMID: 38252375 DOI: 10.1140/epje/s10189-023-00384-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
We compute the free energy of confinement [Formula: see text] for a wormlike chain (WLC), with persistence length [Formula: see text], that is confined to the surface of a cylinder of radius R under an external tension f using a mean field variational approach. For long chains, we analytically determine the behavior of the chain in a variety of regimes, which are demarcated by the interplay of [Formula: see text], the Odijk deflection length ([Formula: see text]), and the Pincus length ([Formula: see text], with [Formula: see text] being the thermal energy). The theory accurately reproduces the Odijk scaling for strongly confined chains at [Formula: see text], with [Formula: see text]. For moderate values of f, the Odijk scaling is discernible only when [Formula: see text] for strongly confined chains. Confinement does not significantly alter the scaling of the mean extension for sufficiently high tension. The theory is used to estimate unwrapping forces for DNA from nucleosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg Morrison
- Department of Physics, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - D Thirumalai
- Departments of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
- Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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4
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Jung Y, Sadeghi A, Ha BY. Modeling the compaction of bacterial chromosomes by biomolecular crowding and the cross-linking protein H-NS. Sci Rep 2024; 14:139. [PMID: 38167921 PMCID: PMC10762067 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50355-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Cells orchestrate the action of various molecules toward organizing their chromosomes. Using a coarse-grained computational model, we study the compaction of bacterial chromosomes by the cross-linking protein H-NS and cellular crowders. In this work, H-NS, modeled as a mobile "binder," can bind to a chromosome-like polymer with a characteristic binding energy. The simulation results reported here clarify the relative role of biomolecular crowding and H-NS in condensing a bacterial chromosome in a quantitative manner. In particular, they shed light on the nature and degree of crowder and H-NS synergetics: while the presence of crowders enhances H-NS binding to a chromosome-like polymer, the presence of H-NS makes crowding effects more efficient, suggesting two-way synergetics in chain compaction. Also, the results show how crowding effects promote clustering of bound H-NS. For a sufficiently large concentration of H-NS, the cluster size increases with the volume fraction of crowders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngkyun Jung
- Supercomputing Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, Daejeon, 34141, South Korea.
| | - Amir Sadeghi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Bae-Yeun Ha
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
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5
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Yang X, Sun X, Xu S, Fu H, Li Y. Helical insertion of polyphenylene chains into confined cylindrical slits composed of two carbon nanotubes. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:31057-31067. [PMID: 37943071 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp02191b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
The helical insertion behavior of poly(para-phenylene) (PP) chains into confined cylindrical slits constructed by two carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with different diameters is studied by molecular dynamics simulations. The contribution of system energy and each energy component to helical self-assembly is discussed to further explain the conditions, driving force and mechanism. The width and length of the slit, the diameter of the outer tube and the temperature have a great impact on the helical insertion of PP chains. Two equations are proposed to confirm the diameter and the distances between the PP helix and the inner and outer walls of the given CNTs. The helical self-assembly of PP with different numbers of chains inserted into the slits is further studied. This study has a great benefit in understanding the conformational behavior of polymers, even biological macromolecules in confinements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyin Yang
- School of Mechanical & Vehicle Engineering, Linyi University, Linyi, Shandong 276000, China.
| | - Xuemei Sun
- School of Mechanical & Vehicle Engineering, Linyi University, Linyi, Shandong 276000, China.
| | - Shuqiong Xu
- School of Mechanical & Vehicle Engineering, Linyi University, Linyi, Shandong 276000, China.
| | - Hongjin Fu
- School of Mechanical & Vehicle Engineering, Linyi University, Linyi, Shandong 276000, China.
| | - Yunfang Li
- School of Mechanical & Vehicle Engineering, Linyi University, Linyi, Shandong 276000, China.
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6
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Lin AJ, Sihorwala AZ, Belardi B. Engineering Tissue-Scale Properties with Synthetic Cells: Forging One from Many. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1889-1907. [PMID: 37417657 PMCID: PMC11017731 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
In metazoans, living cells achieve capabilities beyond individual cell functionality by assembling into multicellular tissue structures. These higher-order structures represent dynamic, heterogeneous, and responsive systems that have evolved to regenerate and coordinate their actions over large distances. Recent advances in constructing micrometer-sized vesicles, or synthetic cells, now point to a future where construction of synthetic tissue can be pursued, a boon to pressing material needs in biomedical implants, drug delivery systems, adhesives, filters, and storage devices, among others. To fully realize the potential of synthetic tissue, inspiration has been and will continue to be drawn from new molecular findings on its natural counterpart. In this review, we describe advances in introducing tissue-scale features into synthetic cell assemblies. Beyond mere complexation, synthetic cells have been fashioned with a variety of natural and engineered molecular components that serve as initial steps toward morphological control and patterning, intercellular communication, replication, and responsiveness in synthetic tissue. Particular attention has been paid to the dynamics, spatial constraints, and mechanical strengths of interactions that drive the synthesis of this next-generation material, describing how multiple synthetic cells can act as one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Lin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Ahmed Z Sihorwala
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Brian Belardi
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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7
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Shew CY, Yoshikawa K. Crowding effect on the alignment of rod molecules confined in a spherical cavity. Chem Phys Lett 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2023.140437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
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8
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Cai L, Yang J, Lai Y, Liang Y, Zhang R, Gu C, Kitagawa S, Yin P. Dynamics and Proton Conduction of Heterogeneously Confined Imidazole in Porous Coordination Polymers. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202211741. [PMID: 36583606 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202211741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The nanoconfinement of proton carrier molecules may contribute to the lowing of their proton dissociation energy. However, the free proton transportation does not occur as easily as in liquid due to the restricted molecular motion from surface attraction. To resolve the puzzle, herein, imidazole is confined in the channels of porous coordination polymers with tunable geometries, and their electric/structural relaxations are quantified. Imidazole confined in a square-shape channels exhibits dynamics heterogeneity of core-shell-cylinder model. The core and shell layer possess faster and slower structural dynamics, respectively, when compared to the bulk imidazole. The dimensions and geometry of the nanochannels play an important role in both the shielding of the blocking effect from attractive surfaces and the frustration filling of the internal proton carrier molecules, ultimately contributing to the fast dynamics and enhanced proton conductivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linkun Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices & South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Junsheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices & South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Yuyan Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices & South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Yuling Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices & South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Rongchun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices & South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Cheng Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices & South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Susumu Kitagawa
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Panchao Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices & South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
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9
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Mitra D, Pande S, Chatterji A. Topology-driven spatial organization of ring polymers under confinement. Phys Rev E 2022; 106:054502. [PMID: 36559479 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.106.054502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Entropic repulsion between DNA ring polymers under confinement is a key mechanism governing the spatial segregation of bacterial DNA before cell division. Here we establish that "internal" loops within a modified-ring polymer architecture enhance entropic repulsion between two overlapping polymers confined in a cylinder. Interestingly, they also induce entropy-driven spatial organization of polymer segments as seen in vivo. Here we design polymers of different architectures in our simulations by introducing a minimal number of cross-links between specific monomers along the ring-polymer contour. The cross-links are likely induced by various bridging proteins inside living cells. We investigate the segregation of two polymers with modified topologies confined in a cylinder, which initially had spatially overlapping configurations. This helps us to identify the architectures that lead to higher success rates of segregation. We also establish the mechanism that leads to localization of specific polymer segments. We use the blob model to provide a theoretical understanding of why certain architectures lead to enhanced entropic repulsive forces between the polymers. Lastly, we establish a correspondence between the organizational patterns of the chromosome of the C.crescentus bacterium and our results for a specifically designed polymer architecture. However, the principles outlined here pertaining to the organization of polymeric segments are applicable to both synthetic and biological polymers.
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10
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Taylor MP. Confinement free energy for a polymer chain: Corrections to scaling. J Chem Phys 2022; 157:094902. [PMID: 36075705 DOI: 10.1063/5.0105142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial confinement of a polymer chain results in a reduction of conformational entropy. For confinement of a flexible N-mer chain in a planar slit or cylindrical pore (confining dimension D), a blob model analysis predicts the asymptotic scaling behavior ΔF/N ∼ D-γ with γ ≈ 1.70, where ΔF is the free energy increase due to confinement. Here, we extend this scaling analysis to include the variation of local monomer density upon confinement giving ΔF/N ∼ D-γ(1 - h(N, D)), where the correction-to-scaling term has the form h ∼ Dy/NΔ with exponents y = 3 - γ ≈ 1.30 and Δ = 3/γ - 1 ≈ 0.76. To test these scaling predictions, we carry out Wang-Landau simulations of confined and unconfined tangent-hard-sphere chains (bead diameter σ) in the presence of a square-well trapping potential. The fully trapped chain provides a common reference state, allowing for an absolute determination of the confinement free energy. Our simulation results for 32 ≤ N ≤ 1024 and 3 ≤ D/σ ≤ 14 are well-described by the extended scaling relation giving exponents of γ = 1.69(1), y = 1.25(2), and Δ = 0.75(6).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark P Taylor
- Department of Physics, Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio 44234, USA
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11
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Confinement anisotropy drives polar organization of two DNA molecules interacting in a nanoscale cavity. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4358. [PMID: 35902565 PMCID: PMC9334635 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31398-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing appreciation for the role phase transition based phenomena play in biological systems. In particular, self-avoiding polymer chains are predicted to undergo a unique confinement dependent demixing transition as the anisotropy of the confined space is increased. This phenomenon may be relevant for understanding how interactions between multiple dsDNA molecules can induce self-organized structure in prokaryotes. While recent in vivo experiments and Monte Carlo simulations have delivered essential insights into this phenomenon and its relation to bacteria, there are fundamental questions remaining concerning how segregated polymer states arise, the role of confinement anisotropy and the nature of the dynamics in the segregated states. To address these questions, we introduce an artificial nanofluidic model to quantify the interactions of multiple dsDNA molecules in cavities with controlled anisotropy. We find that two dsDNA molecules of equal size confined in an elliptical cavity will spontaneously demix and orient along the cavity poles as cavity eccentricity is increased; the two chains will then swap pole positions with a frequency that decreases with increasing cavity eccentricity. In addition, we explore a system consisting of a large dsDNA molecule and a plasmid molecule. We find that the plasmid is excluded from the larger molecule and will exhibit a preference for the ellipse poles, giving rise to a non-uniform spatial distribution in the cavity that may help explain the non-uniform plasmid distribution observed during in vivo imaging of high-copy number plasmids in bacteria.
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12
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Sequential polymer infusion into solid substrates (SPISS): Impact of processing on sorbent CO2 adsorption properties. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.121042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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13
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Rusková R, Račko D. Channels with Helical Modulation Display Stereospecific Sensitivity for Chiral Superstructures. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:3726. [PMID: 34771282 PMCID: PMC8588256 DOI: 10.3390/polym13213726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
By means of coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, we explore chiral sensitivity of confining spaces modelled as helical channels to chiral superstructures represented by polymer knots. The simulations show that helical channels exhibit stereosensitivity to chiral knots localized on linear chains by effect of external pulling force and also to knots embedded on circular chains. The magnitude of the stereoselective effect is stronger for torus knots, the effect is weaker in the case of twist knots, and amphichiral knots do exhibit no chiral effects. The magnitude of the effect can be tuned by the so-far investigated radius of the helix, the pitch of the helix and the strength of the pulling force. The model is aimed to simulate and address a range of practical situations that may occur in experimental settings such as designing of nanotechnological devices for the detection of topological state of molecules, preparation of new gels with tailor made stereoselective properties, or diffusion of knotted DNA in biological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renáta Rusková
- Polymer Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 3, 84541 Bratislava, Slovakia;
- Department of Plastics, Rubber and Fibres (IPM FCFT), Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 81237 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Dušan Račko
- Polymer Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 3, 84541 Bratislava, Slovakia;
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14
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Morrin GT, Kienle DF, Schwartz DK. Diffusion of Short Semiflexible DNA Polymer Chains in Strong and Moderate Confinement. ACS Macro Lett 2021; 10:1191-1195. [PMID: 35549041 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In many technological applications, DNA is confined within nanoenvironments that are smaller than the size of the unconfined polymer in solution. However, the dependence of the diffusion coefficient on molecular weight and characteristic confinement dimension remains poorly understood in this regime. Here, convex lens-induced confinement (CLiC) was leveraged to examine how the diffusion of short DNA fragments varied as a function of slit height by using single-molecule fluorescence tracking microscopy. The diffusion coefficient followed approximate power law behavior versus confinement height, with exponents of 0.27 ± 0.01, 0.32 ± 0.02, and 0.42 ± 0.06 for 692, 1343, and 2686 base pair chains, respectively. The weak dependence on slit height suggests that shorter semiflexible chains may adopt increasingly rodlike conformations and therefore experience weaker excluded-volume interactions as the confinement dimension is reduced. The diffusion coefficient versus molecular weight also exhibited apparent power law behavior, with exponents that varied slightly (from -0.89 to -0.85) with slit height, consistent with hydrodynamic interactions intermediate between Rouse and Zimm model predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory T Morrin
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Daniel F Kienle
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Daniel K Schwartz
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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15
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Ding M, Li L. Flow-Induced Translocation and Conformational Transition of Polymer Chains through Nanochannels: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Ding
- School of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Lianwei Li
- Food Science and Processing Research Center, College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
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16
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Nourbakhsh S, Yu L, Ha BY. Modeling the Protective Role of Bacterial Lipopolysaccharides against Membrane-Rupturing Peptides. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:8839-8854. [PMID: 34319722 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c02330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a key surface component of Gram-negative bacteria, populating the outer layer of their outer membrane. A number of experimental studies highlight its protective role against harmful molecules such as antibiotics and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). In this work, we present a theoretical model for describing the interaction between LPS and cationic antimicrobial peptides, which combines the following two key features. The polysaccharide part is viewed as forming a polymer brush, exerting an osmotic pressure on inclusions such as antimicrobial peptides. The charged groups on LPS (those in lipid A and the two Kdo groups in the inner core) form electrostatic binding sites for cationic AMPs or cations. Using the resulting model, we offer a quantitative picture of how the brush component enhances the protective role of LPS against magainin-like peptides, in the presence of divalent cations such as Mg2+. The LPS brush tends to diminish the interfacial binding of the peptides, at the lipid headgroup region, by about 30%. In the presence of 5 mM of Mg2+, the interfacial binding does not reach a threshold value for wild-type LPS, beyond which the LPS layer is ruptured, even though it does for LPS Re (the simplest form of LPS, lacking the brush part), as long as [AMP] ≤ 20 μM, where [AMP] is the concentration of AMPs. At a low concentration of Mg2+ (≈1 mM), however, a smaller [AMP] value (≳2 μM) is needed to reach the threshold coverage for wild-type LPS. Our results also suggest that the interfacial binding of peptides is insensitive to their possible weak interaction with the surrounding brush chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shokoofeh Nourbakhsh
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Liu Yu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Bae-Yeun Ha
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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17
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Dettmann LF, Kühn O, Ahmed AA. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations of nanoplastics interacting with a hydrophobic environment in aqueous solution. RSC Adv 2021; 11:27734-27744. [PMID: 35480645 PMCID: PMC9037801 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra04439g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Nanoplastics (NPs) are emerging threats for marine and terrestrial ecosystems, but little is known about their fate in the environment at the molecular scale. In this work, coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate nature and strength of the interaction between NPs and hydrophobic environments. Specifically, NPs were simulated with different hydrophobic and hydrophilic polymers while carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were used to mimic surface and confinement effects of hydrophobic building blocks occurring in a soil environment. The hydrophobicity of CNTs was modified by introducing different hydrophobic and hydrophilic functional groups at their inner surfaces. The results show that hydrophobic polymers have a strong affinity to adsorb at the outer surface and to be captured inside the CNT. The accumulation within the CNT is even increased in presence of hydrophobic functional groups. This contribution is a first step towards a mechanistic understanding of a variety of processes connected to interaction of nanoscale material with environmental systems. Regarding the fate of NPs in soil, the results point to the critical role of the hydrophobicity of NPs and soil organic matter (SOM) as well as of the chemical nature of functionalized SOM cavities/voids in controlling the accumulation of NPs in soil. Moreover, the results can be related to water treatment technologies as it is shown that the hydrophobicity of CNTs and functionalization of their surfaces may play a crucial role in enhancing the adsorption capacity of CNTs with respect to organic compounds and thus their removal efficiency from wastewater. The binding mechanisms of nanoplastics (NPs) to carbon nanotubes as hydrophobic environmental systems have been explored by coarse-grained MD simulations. The results could be closely connected to fate of NPs in soil and water treatment technologies.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenz F Dettmann
- University of Rostock, Institute of Physics Albert-Einstein-Str. 23-24 D-18059 Rostock Germany
| | - Oliver Kühn
- University of Rostock, Institute of Physics Albert-Einstein-Str. 23-24 D-18059 Rostock Germany .,University of Rostock, Department of Life, Light and Matter (LLM) Albert-Einstein-Str. 25 D-18059 Rostock Germany
| | - Ashour A Ahmed
- University of Rostock, Institute of Physics Albert-Einstein-Str. 23-24 D-18059 Rostock Germany .,University of Rostock, Department of Life, Light and Matter (LLM) Albert-Einstein-Str. 25 D-18059 Rostock Germany
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18
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Jung Y, Ha BY. Collapse transition of a heterogeneous polymer in a crowded medium. J Chem Phys 2021; 155:054902. [PMID: 34364346 DOI: 10.1063/5.0056446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Long chain molecules can be entropically compacted in a crowded medium. We study the compaction transition of a heterogeneous polymer with ring topology by crowding effects in a free or confined space. For this, we use molecular dynamics simulations in which the effects of crowders are taken into account through effective interactions between chain segments. Our parameter choices are inspired by the Escherichia coli chromosome. The polymer consists of small and big monomers; the big monomers dispersed along the backbone are to mimic the binding of RNA polymerases. Our results show that the compaction transition is a two-step process: initial compaction induced by the association (clustering) of big monomers followed by a gradual overall compaction. They also indicate that cylindrical confinement makes the initial transition more effective; for representative parameter choices, the initial compaction accounts for about 60% reduction in the chain size. Our simulation results support the view that crowding promotes clustering of active transcription units into transcription factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngkyun Jung
- Supercomputing Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Bae-Yeun Ha
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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19
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Olivi L, Berger M, Creyghton RNP, De Franceschi N, Dekker C, Mulder BM, Claassens NJ, Ten Wolde PR, van der Oost J. Towards a synthetic cell cycle. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4531. [PMID: 34312383 PMCID: PMC8313558 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24772-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent developments in synthetic biology may bring the bottom-up generation of a synthetic cell within reach. A key feature of a living synthetic cell is a functional cell cycle, in which DNA replication and segregation as well as cell growth and division are well integrated. Here, we describe different approaches to recreate these processes in a synthetic cell, based on natural systems and/or synthetic alternatives. Although some individual machineries have recently been established, their integration and control in a synthetic cell cycle remain to be addressed. In this Perspective, we discuss potential paths towards an integrated synthetic cell cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Olivi
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Nicola De Franceschi
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Cees Dekker
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | | | - Nico J Claassens
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - John van der Oost
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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20
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Milchev A, Egorov SA, Binder K. Phase Separation in a Binary Mixture of Semiflexible Polymers Confined in a Repulsive Sphere. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrey Milchev
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Sergei A. Egorov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22901, United States
| | - Kurt Binder
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Staudinger Weg 9, D-55099 Mainz, Germany
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21
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Cifra
- Polymer Institute Slovak Academy of Sciences Bratislava 84541 Slovakia
| | - Tomáš Bleha
- Polymer Institute Slovak Academy of Sciences Bratislava 84541 Slovakia
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22
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Mesoscale Simulation of Bacterial Chromosome and Cytoplasmic Nanoparticles in Confinement. ENTROPY 2021; 23:e23050542. [PMID: 33924872 PMCID: PMC8146307 DOI: 10.3390/e23050542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In this study we investigated, using a simple polymer model of bacterial chromosome, the subdiffusive behaviors of both cytoplasmic particles and various loci in different cell wall confinements. Non-Gaussian subdiffusion of cytoplasmic particles as well as loci were obtained in our Langevin dynamic simulations, which agrees with fluorescence microscope observations. The effects of cytoplasmic particle size, locus position, confinement geometry, and density on motions of particles and loci were examined systematically. It is demonstrated that the cytoplasmic subdiffusion can largely be attributed to the mechanical properties of bacterial chromosomes rather than the viscoelasticity of cytoplasm. Due to the randomly positioned bacterial chromosome segments, the surrounding environment for both particle and loci is heterogeneous. Therefore, the exponent characterizing the subdiffusion of cytoplasmic particle/loci as well as Laplace displacement distributions of particle/loci can be reproduced by this simple model. Nevertheless, this bacterial chromosome model cannot explain the different responses of cytoplasmic particles and loci to external compression exerted on the bacterial cell wall, which suggests that the nonequilibrium activity, e.g., metabolic reactions, play an important role in cytoplasmic subdiffusion.
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23
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Zhu J, Lu X, Li Y, Li T, Yang L, Yang K, Ji L, Lu M, Li M. A Rotavirus Virus-Like Particle Confined Palladium Nanoreactor and Its Immobilization on Graphene Oxide for Catalysis. Catal Letters 2020; 150:3542-3552. [PMID: 32421047 PMCID: PMC7223084 DOI: 10.1007/s10562-020-03252-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract In this work, a new viral protein cage based nanoreactor was successfully constructed via encapsulating Tween 80 stabilized palladium nanoparticles (NPs) into rotavirus capsid VP2 virus-like particles (i.e. Pd@VP2). The effects of stabilizers including CTAB, SDS, Tween 80 and PVP on controlling the particle size of Pd NPs were investigated. They were further immobilized on graphene oxide (i.e. Pd@VP2/GO) by a simple mixing method. Some characterizations including FT-IR and XPS were conducted to study adsorption mode of Pd@VP2 on GO sheets. Their catalytic performance was estimated in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). Results showed that Tween 80 stabilized Pd NPs with the molar ratio of Pd to Tween 80 at 1:0.1 possessed the smallest size and the best stability as well. They were encapsulated into viral protein cages (mean size 49 ± 0.26 nm) to assemble confined nanoreactors, most of which contained 1-2 Pd NPs (mean size 8.15 ± 0.26 nm). As-prepared Pd@VP2 indicated an enhanced activity (apparent reaction rate constant k app = (3.74 ± 0.10) × 10-3 s-1) for the reduction of 4-NP in comparison to non-confined Pd-Tween80 colloid (k app = (2.20 ± 0.06) × 10-3 s-1). It was logically due to confinement effects of Pd@VP2 including high dispersion of Pd NPs and high effective concentration of substrates in confined space. Pd@VP2 were further immobilized on GO surface through C-N bond. Pd@VP2/GO exhibited good reusability after recycling for four runs, confirming the strong anchoring effects of GO on Pd@VP2. Graphic Abstract
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhu
- 1National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomass Refining and High-Quality Utilization, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164 China.,2Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164 China
| | - Xiaoxue Lu
- 1National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomass Refining and High-Quality Utilization, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164 China
| | - Yijian Li
- 3State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China
| | - Tingdong Li
- 3State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China
| | - Linsong Yang
- 1National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomass Refining and High-Quality Utilization, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164 China
| | - Kun Yang
- 1National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomass Refining and High-Quality Utilization, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164 China
| | - Liang Ji
- 1National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomass Refining and High-Quality Utilization, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164 China
| | - Mohong Lu
- 2Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164 China
| | - Mingshi Li
- 2Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164 China
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24
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Morrin GT, Kienle DF, Weltz JS, Traeger JC, Schwartz DK. Polyelectrolyte Surface Diffusion in a Nanoslit Geometry. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b02365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gregory T. Morrin
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Daniel F. Kienle
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - James S. Weltz
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Jeremiah C. Traeger
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Daniel K. Schwartz
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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25
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngkyun Jung
- Supercomputing Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | | | - Bae-Yeun Ha
- Korea Institute for Advanced Study, Seoul 02455, Korea
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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26
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Taylor MP, Prunty TM, O'Neil CM. All-or-none folding of a flexible polymer chain in cylindrical nanoconfinement. J Chem Phys 2020; 152:094901. [PMID: 33480730 DOI: 10.1063/1.5144818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Geometric confinement of a polymer chain results in a loss of conformational entropy. For a chain that can fold into a compact native state via a first-order-like transition, as is the case for many small proteins, confinement typically provides an entropic stabilization of the folded state, thereby shifting the location of the transition. This allows for the possibility of confinement (entropy) driven folding. Here, we investigate such confinement effects for a flexible square-well-sphere N-mer chain (monomer diameter σ) confined within a long cylindrical pore (diameter D) or a closed cylindrical box (height H = D). We carry out Wang-Landau simulations to construct the density of states, which provides access to the complete thermodynamics of the system. For a wide pore, an entropic stabilization of the folded state is observed. However, as the pore diameter approaches the size of the folded chain (D ∼ N1/3σ), we find a destabilization effect. For pore diameters smaller than the native ground-state, the chain folds into a different, higher energy, ground state ensemble and the T vs D phase diagram displays non-monotonic behavior as the system is forced into different ground states for different ranges of D. In this regime, isothermal reduction of the confinement dimension can induce folding, unfolding, or crystallite restructuring. For the cylindrical box, we find a monotonic stabilization effect with decreasing D. Scaling laws for the confinement free energy in the athermal limit are also investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark P Taylor
- Department of Physics, Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio 44234, USA
| | - Troy M Prunty
- Department of Physics, Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio 44234, USA
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27
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Miermans CA, Broedersz CP. A lattice kinetic Monte-Carlo method for simulating chromosomal dynamics and other (non-)equilibrium bio-assemblies. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:544-556. [PMID: 31808764 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm01835b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Biological assemblies in living cells such as chromosomes constitute large many-body systems that operate in a fluctuating, out-of-equilibrium environment. Since a brute-force simulation of that many degrees of freedom is currently computationally unfeasible, it is necessary to perform coarse-grained stochastic simulations. Here, we develop all tools necessary to write a lattice kinetic Monte-Carlo (LKMC) algorithm capable of performing such simulations. We discuss the validity and limits of this approach by testing the results of the simulation method in simple settings. Importantly, we illustrate how at large external forces Metropolis-Hastings kinetics violate the fluctuation-dissipation and steady-state fluctuation theorems and discuss better alternatives. Although this simulation framework is rather general, we demonstrate our approach using a DNA polymer with interacting SMC condensin loop-extruding enzymes. Specifically, we show that the scaling behavior of the loop-size distributions that we obtain in our LKMC simulations of this SMC-DNA system is consistent with that reported in other studies using Brownian dynamics simulations and analytic approaches. Moreover, we find that the irreversible dynamics of these enzymes under certain conditions result in frozen, sterically jammed polymer configurations, highlighting a potential pitfall of this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiaan A Miermans
- Arnold-Sommerfeld-Center for Theoretical Physics and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-80333 München, Germany.
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28
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Tripathi K, Menon GI, Vemparala S. Confined crowded polymers near attractive surfaces. J Chem Phys 2019; 151:244901. [PMID: 31893876 DOI: 10.1063/1.5115284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We present results from molecular dynamics simulations of a spherically confined neutral polymer in the presence of crowding particles, studying polymer shapes and conformations as a function of the strength of the attraction to the confining wall, solvent quality, and the density of crowders. The conformations of the polymer under good solvent conditions are weakly dependent on crowder particle density, even when the polymer is strongly confined. In contrast, under poor solvent conditions, when the polymer assumes a collapsed conformation when unconfined, it can exhibit transitions to two different adsorbed phases, when either the interaction with the wall or the density of crowder particles is changed. One such transition involves a desorbed collapsed phase change to an adsorbed extended phase as the attraction of the polymer towards the confining wall is increased. Such an adsorbed extended phase can exhibit a second transition to an ordered adsorbed collapsed phase as the crowder particle density is increased. The ordered adsorbed collapsed phase of the polymer differs significantly in its structure from the desorbed collapsed phase. We revisit the earlier understanding of the adsorption of confined polymers on attractive surfaces in light of our results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamal Tripathi
- The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, C.I.T. Campus, Taramani, Chennai 600113, India
| | - Gautam I Menon
- The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, C.I.T. Campus, Taramani, Chennai 600113, India
| | - Satyavani Vemparala
- The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, C.I.T. Campus, Taramani, Chennai 600113, India
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29
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Fu Y, Wu F, Huang JH, Chen YC, Luo MB. Simulation Study on the Extension of Semi-flexible Polymer Chains in Cylindrical Channel. CHINESE JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10118-019-2291-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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30
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Heidari M, Satarifard V, Mashaghi A. Mapping a single-molecule folding process onto a topological space. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:20338-20345. [PMID: 31497825 DOI: 10.1039/c9cp03175h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Physics of protein folding has been dominated by conceptual frameworks including the nucleation-propagation mechanism and the diffusion-collision model, and none address the topological properties of a chain during a folding process. Single-molecule interrogation of folded biomolecules has enabled real-time monitoring of folding processes at an unprecedented resolution. Despite these advances, the topology landscape has not been fully mapped for any chain. Using a novel circuit topology approach, we map the topology landscape of a model polymeric chain. Inspired by single-molecule mechanical interrogation studies, we restrained the ends of a chain and followed fold nucleation dynamics. We find that, before the nucleation, transient local entropic loops dominate. Although the nucleation length of globules is dependent on the cohesive interaction, the ultimate topological states of the collapsed polymer are largely independent of the interaction but depend on the speed of the folding process. After the nucleation, transient topological rearrangements are observed that converge to a steady-state, where the fold grows in a self-similar manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maziar Heidari
- Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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31
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Abstract
When compressed in a slit of width D, a Θ-chain that displays the scaling of size R0 (diameter) with respect to the number of monomers N, R0 ∼ aN1/2, expands in the lateral direction as R|| ∼ aNν(a/D)2ν-1. Provided that the Θ condition is strictly maintained throughout the compression, the well-known scaling exponent of Θ-chain in two dimensions, ν = 4/7, is anticipated in a perfect confinement. However, numerics shows that upon increasing compression from R0/D < 1 to R0/D ≫ 1, ν gradually deviates from ν = 1/2 and plateaus at ν = 3/4, the exponent associated with the self-avoiding walk in two dimensions. Using both theoretical considerations and numerics, we argue that it is highly nontrivial to maintain the Θ condition under confinement because of two major effects. First, as the dimension is reduced from three to two dimensions, the contributions of higher order virial terms, which can be ignored in three dimensions at large N, become significant, making the perturbative expansion used in Flory-type approach inherently problematic. Second and more importantly, the geometrical confinement, which is regarded as an applied external field, alters the second virial coefficient (B2) changes from B2 = 0 (Θ condition) in free space to B2 > 0 (good-solvent condition) in confinement. Our study provides practical insight into how confinement affects the conformation of a single polymer chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Liu
- Korea Institute for Advanced Study , Seoul 02455 , Korea
| | - Philip A Pincus
- Physics and Material Department , University of California , Santa Barbara , California 93106 , United States
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32
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Wang X, Procházka K, Limpouchová Z. Pore size effect on the separation of polymers by interaction chromatography. A Monte Carlo study. Anal Chim Acta 2019; 1064:126-137. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2019.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 03/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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33
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Agarwal T, Manjunath GP, Habib F, Chatterji A. Bacterial chromosome organization. II. Few special cross-links, cell confinement, and molecular crowders play the pivotal roles. J Chem Phys 2019; 150:144909. [PMID: 30981247 DOI: 10.1063/1.5058217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Using a coarse-grained bead-spring model of bacterial chromosomes of Caulobacter crescentus and Escherichia coli, we show that just 33 and 38 effective cross-links in 4017 and 4642 monomer chains at special positions along the chain contour can lead to the large-scale organization of the DNA polymer, where confinement effects of the cell walls play a key role in the organization. The positions of the 33/38 cross-links along the chain contour are chosen from the Hi-C contact map of bacteria C. crescentus and E. coli. We represent 1000 base pairs as a coarse-grained monomer in our bead-spring flexible ring polymer model of the DNA polymer. Thus, 4017/4642 beads on a flexible ring polymer represent the C. crescentus/E. coli DNA polymer with 4017/4642 kilo-base pairs. Choosing suitable parameters from Paper I, we also incorporate the role of compaction of the polymer coil due to the presence of molecular crowders and the ability of the chain to release topological constraints. We validate our prediction of the organization of the bacterial chromosomes with available experimental data and also give a prediction of the approximate positions of different segments within the cell. In the absence of confinement, the minimal number of effective cross-links required to organize the DNA chains of 4017/4642 monomers was 60/82 [Agarwal et al., Europhys. Lett. 121, 18004 (2018) and Agarwal et al., J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 30, 034003 (2018)].
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Affiliation(s)
- Tejal Agarwal
- IISER-Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India
| | - G P Manjunath
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York 10016, USA
| | - Farhat Habib
- Inmobi-Cessna Business Park, Outer Ring Road, Bangalore 560103, India
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34
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Jung Y, Ha BY. Confinement induces helical organization of chromosome-like polymers. Sci Rep 2019; 9:869. [PMID: 30696884 PMCID: PMC6351567 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37261-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Helical organization is commonly observed for a variety of biopolymers. Here we study the helical organization of two types of biopolymers, i.e., DNA-like semiflexible and bottle-brush polymers, in a cell-like confined space. A bottle-brush polymer consists of a backbone and side chains emanating from the backbone, resembling a supercoiled bacterial chromosome. Using computer simulations, we calculate 'writhe' distributions of confined biopolymers for a wide range of parameters. Our effort clarifies the conditions under which biopolymers are helically organized. While helical organization is not easily realized for DNA-like biomolecules, cylindrical confinement can induce spiral patterns in a bottle brush, similarly to what was observed with bacterial chromosomes. They also suggest that ring-shape bottle brushes have a stronger tendency for helical organization. We discuss how our results can be used to interpret chromosome experiments. For instance, they suggest that experimental resolution has unexpected consequences on writhe measurements (e.g., narrowing of the writhe distribution and kinetic separation of opposite helical states).
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngkyun Jung
- Supercomputing Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, Daejeon, 34141, Korea.
| | - Bae-Yeun Ha
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada.
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35
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Zhang K, Xu S, Gong J, Tang W. Revealing the critical role of template functional group ordering in the template-directed crystallization of pyrazinamide. CrystEngComm 2019. [DOI: 10.1039/c9ce01236b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The nucleation of γ form pyrazinamide can be directed by the ordering and specific orientation of the template functional groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keke Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology
- Tianjin University
- Tianjin 300072
- P. R. China
| | - Shijie Xu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Chemistry
- College of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
- Tianjin University of Science and Technology
- Tianjin 300457
- P. R. China
| | - Junbo Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology
- Tianjin University
- Tianjin 300072
- P. R. China
| | - Weiwei Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology
- Tianjin University
- Tianjin 300072
- P. R. China
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36
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Chen A, Zhao N. Comparative study of the crowding-induced collapse effect in hard-sphere, flexible polymer and rod-like polymer systems. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:12335-12345. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cp01731c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A systematic Langevin simulation is performed to study the crowding-induced collapse effect on a probed chain in three typical systems: hard sphere (HS), flexible polymer and rod-like polymer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anpu Chen
- College of Chemistry
- Sichuan University
- Chengdu 610064
- China
| | - Nanrong Zhao
- College of Chemistry
- Sichuan University
- Chengdu 610064
- China
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37
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Capaldi X, Liu Z, Zhang Y, Zeng L, Reyes-Lamothe R, Reisner W. Probing the organization and dynamics of two DNA chains trapped in a nanofluidic cavity. SOFT MATTER 2018; 14:8455-8465. [PMID: 30187055 DOI: 10.1039/c8sm01444b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Here we present a pneumatically-actuated nanofluidic platform that has the capability of dynamically controlling the confinement environment of macromolecules in solution. Using a principle familiar from classic devices based on soft-lithography, the system uses pneumatic pressure to deflect a thin nitride lid into a nanoslit, confining molecules in an array of cavities embedded in the slit. We use this system to quantify the interactions of multiple confined DNA chains, a key problem in polymer physics with important implications for nanofluidic device performance and DNA partitioning/organization in bacteria and the eukaryotes. In particular, we focus on the problem of two-chain confinement, using differential staining of the chains to independently assess the chain conformation, determine the degree of partitioning/mixing in the cavities and assess coupled diffusion of the chain center-of-mass positions. We find that confinement of more than one chain in the cavity can have a drastic impact on the polymer dynamics and conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Capaldi
- Department of Physics, McGill University, 3600 rue University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T8, Canada.
| | - Zezhou Liu
- Department of Physics, McGill University, 3600 rue University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T8, Canada.
| | - Yuning Zhang
- Department of Physics, McGill University, 3600 rue University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T8, Canada.
| | - Lili Zeng
- Department of Physics, McGill University, 3600 rue University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T8, Canada.
| | - Rodrigo Reyes-Lamothe
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 33649 Sir William Osler, Montreal, Quebec H3G 0B1, Canada
| | - Walter Reisner
- Department of Physics, McGill University, 3600 rue University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T8, Canada.
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38
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Cencha LG, Urteaga R, Berli CLA. Interferometric Technique To Determine the Dynamics of Polymeric Fluids under Strong Confinement. Macromolecules 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.8b01504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Luisa G. Cencha
- IFIS-Litoral, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Güemes 3450, 3000 Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Raul Urteaga
- IFIS-Litoral, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Güemes 3450, 3000 Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Claudio L. A. Berli
- INTEC, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Predio CCT CONICET Santa Fe, RN 168, 3000 Santa Fe, Argentina
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39
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Polson JM, Kerry DRM. Segregation of polymers under cylindrical confinement: effects of polymer topology and crowding. SOFT MATTER 2018; 14:6360-6373. [PMID: 30028460 DOI: 10.1039/c8sm01062e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Monte Carlo computer simulations are used to study the segregation behaviour of two polymers under cylindrical confinement. Using a multiple-histogram method, the conformational free energy, F, of the polymers was measured as a function of the centre-of-mass separation distance, λ. We examined the scaling of the free energy functions with the polymer length, the length and diameter of the confining cylinder, the polymer topology (i.e. linear vs. ring polymers), and the packing fraction and size of mobile crowding agents. In the absence of crowders, the observed scaling of F(λ) is similar to that predicted using a simple model employing the de Gennes blob model and the approximation that the free energy of overlapping chains in a tube is equal to that of two isolated chains each in a tube of half the cross-sectional area. Simulations were used to test the latter approximation and reveal that it yields poor quantitative predictions. This, along with generic finite-size effects, likely gives rise to the discrepancies between the predicted and measured values of scaling exponents for F(λ). For segregation in the presence of crowding agents, the free energy barrier generally decreases with increasing crowder packing fraction, thus reducing the entropic forces driving segregation. However, for fixed packing fraction, the barrier increases as the crowder/monomer size ratio decreases.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Polson
- Department of Physics, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Ave., Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1A 4P3, Canada.
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40
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Bleha T, Cifra P. Stretching and compression of DNA by external forces under nanochannel confinement. SOFT MATTER 2018; 14:1247-1259. [PMID: 29363709 DOI: 10.1039/c7sm02413d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical deformation of dsDNA molecules inside square nanochannels is investigated using simulations based on a coarse-grained model of DNA. The combined action of confinement and weak external forces is explored in a variety of confinement regimes, including the transition zone relevant to nanofluidic experiments. The computed free energy and force profiles are markedly affected by the channel size. Effective elastic softening of confined DNA molecules relative to the bulk DNA is observed in the channels of intermediate widths. The extension of DNA from its bulk equilibrium length in nanofluidic devices is resolved into contributions from the passive extension due to confinement and from the active stretching induced by force. Potential implications of the very different energy costs computed for the two extension modes (extension by confinement takes much more free energy than stretching by force) for behavior of DNA in nanofluidic chips are indicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Bleha
- Polymer Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84541 Bratislava, Slovakia.
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41
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A ring-polymer model shows how macromolecular crowding controls chromosome-arm organization in Escherichia coli. Sci Rep 2017; 7:11896. [PMID: 28928399 PMCID: PMC5605704 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10421-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Macromolecular crowding influences various cellular processes such as macromolecular association and transcription, and is a key determinant of chromosome organization in bacteria. The entropy of crowders favors compaction of long chain molecules such as chromosomes. To what extent is the circular bacterial chromosome, often viewed as consisting of “two arms”, organized entropically by crowding? Using computer simulations, we examine how a ring polymer is organized in a crowded and cylindrically-confined space, as a coarse-grained bacterial chromosome. Our results suggest that in a wide parameter range of biological relevance crowding is essential for separating the two arms in the way observed with Escherichia coli chromosomes at fast-growth rates, in addition to maintaining the chromosome in an organized collapsed state. Under different conditions, however, the ring polymer is centrally condensed or adsorbed onto the cylindrical wall with the two arms laterally collapsed onto each other. We discuss the relevance of our results to chromosome-membrane interactions.
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Jeon C, Hyeon C, Jung Y, Ha BY. How are molecular crowding and the spatial organization of a biopolymer interrelated. SOFT MATTER 2016; 12:9786-9796. [PMID: 27858047 DOI: 10.1039/c6sm01924b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In a crowded cellular interior, dissolved biomolecules or crowders exert excluded volume effects on other biomolecules, which in turn control various processes including protein aggregation and chromosome organization. As a result of these effects, a long chain molecule can be phase-separated into a condensed state, redistributing the surrounding crowders. Using computer simulations and a theoretical approach, we study the interrelationship between molecular crowding and chain organization. In a parameter space of biological relevance, the distributions of monomers and crowders follow a simple relationship: the sum of their volume fractions rescaled by their size remains constant. Beyond a physical picture of molecular crowding it offers, this finding explains a few key features of what has been known about chromosome organization in an E. coli cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanil Jeon
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Changbong Hyeon
- School of Computational Sciences, Korea Institute for Advanced Study, Seoul 02455, Korea.
| | - Youngkyun Jung
- Supercomputing Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, Daejeon, 34141, Korea.
| | - Bae-Yeun Ha
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada. and School of Computational Sciences, Korea Institute for Advanced Study, Seoul 02455, Korea.
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43
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Jorge AF, Nunes SC, Cova TF, Pais AA. Cooperative action in DNA condensation. Curr Opin Colloid Interface Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2016.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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44
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Jeon C, Jung Y, Ha BY. Effects of molecular crowding and confinement on the spatial organization of a biopolymer. SOFT MATTER 2016; 12:9436-9450. [PMID: 27834427 DOI: 10.1039/c6sm01184e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
A chain molecule can be entropically collapsed in a crowded medium in a free or confined space. Here, we present a unified view of how molecular crowding collapses a flexible polymer in three distinct spaces: free, cylindrical, and (two-dimensional) slit-like. Despite their seeming disparities, a few general features characterize all these cases, even though the ϕc-dependence of chain compaction differs between the two cases: a > ac and a < ac, where ϕc is the volume fraction of crowders, a is the monomer size, and ac is the crowder size. For a > ac (applicable to a coarse-grained model of bacterial chromosomes), chain size depends on the ratio aϕc/ac, and "full" compaction occurs universally at aϕc/ac ≈ 1; for ac > a (relevant for protein folding), it is controlled by ϕc alone and crowding has a modest effect on chain size in a cellular environment (ϕc ≈ 0.3). Also for a typical parameter range of biological relevance, molecular crowding can be viewed as effectively reducing the solvent quality, independent of confinement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanil Jeon
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Youngkyun Jung
- Supercomputing Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, Daejeon 34141, Korea.
| | - Bae-Yeun Ha
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada. and School of Computational Sciences, Korea Institute for Advanced Study, Seoul 02455, Korea
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45
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Zhou LQ, Yu WC, Chen YH, Luo KF. Ejection dynamics of semiflexible polymers out of a nanochannel. CHINESE JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10118-016-1842-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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46
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Bianco V, Malgaretti P. Non-monotonous polymer translocation time across corrugated channels: Comparison between Fick-Jacobs approximation and numerical simulations. J Chem Phys 2016. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4961697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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47
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Glagoleva AA, Vasilevskaya VV, Khokhlov AR. Polymer globule with fractal properties caused by intramolecular nanostructuring and spatial constrains. SOFT MATTER 2016; 12:5138-5145. [PMID: 27198966 DOI: 10.1039/c6sm00747c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
By means of computer simulation, we studied macromolecules composed of N dumbbell amphiphilic monomer units with attractive pendant groups. In poor solvents, these macromolecules form spherical globules that are dense in the case of short chains (the gyration radius RG∼N(1/3)), or hollow inside and obey the RG∼N(1/2) law when the macromolecules are sufficiently long. Due to the specific intramolecular nanostructuring, the vesicle-like globules of long amphiphilic macromolecules posses some properties of fractal globules, by which they (i) could demonstrate the same scaling statistics for the entire macromolecule and for short subchains with m monomer units and (ii) possess a specific territorial structure. Within a narrow slit, the globule loses its inner cavity, takes a disk-like shape and scales as N(1/2) for much shorter macromolecules. However, the field of end-to-end distance r(m) ∼m(1/2) dependence for subchains becomes visibly smaller. The results obtained were compared with the homopolymer case.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A Glagoleva
- A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova St. 28, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
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48
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Dai L, Renner CB, Doyle PS. The polymer physics of single DNA confined in nanochannels. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2016; 232:80-100. [PMID: 26782150 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2015.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2015] [Revised: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, applications and experimental studies of DNA in nanochannels have stimulated the investigation of the polymer physics of DNA in confinement. Recent advances in the physics of confined polymers, using DNA as a model polymer, have moved beyond the classic Odijk theory for the strong confinement, and the classic blob theory for the weak confinement. In this review, we present the current understanding of the behaviors of confined polymers while briefly reviewing classic theories. Three aspects of confined DNA are presented: static, dynamic, and topological properties. The relevant simulation methods are also summarized. In addition, comparisons of confined DNA with DNA under tension and DNA in semidilute solution are made to emphasize universal behaviors. Finally, an outlook of the possible future research for confined DNA is given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Dai
- BioSystems and Micromechanics (BioSyM) IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, 138602, Singapore
| | - C Benjamin Renner
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Patrick S Doyle
- BioSystems and Micromechanics (BioSyM) IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, 138602, Singapore; Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, United States.
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49
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Jeong D, Kim J, Sung BJ. Effects of solvent and wall roughness on the dynamics and structure of a single polymer in a slit. POLYMER 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2016.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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50
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Smithe TSC, Iarko V, Muralidhar A, Werner E, Dorfman KD, Mehlig B. Finite-size corrections for confined polymers in the extended de Gennes regime. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2015; 92:062601. [PMID: 26764718 PMCID: PMC4714778 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.92.062601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Theoretical results for the extension of a polymer confined to a channel are usually derived in the limit of infinite contour length. But experimental studies and simulations of DNA molecules confined to nanochannels are not necessarily in this asymptotic limit. We calculate the statistics of the span and the end-to-end distance of a semiflexible polymer of finite length in the extended de Gennes regime, exploiting the fact that the problem can be mapped to a one-dimensional weakly self-avoiding random walk. The results thus obtained compare favorably with pruned-enriched Rosenbluth method (PERM) simulations of a three-dimensional discrete wormlike chain model of DNA confined in a nanochannel. We discuss the implications for experimental studies of linear λ-DNA confined to nanochannels at the high ionic strengths used in many experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. St Clere Smithe
- Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, Origovägen 6B, 412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - V. Iarko
- Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, Origovägen 6B, 412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - A. Muralidhar
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - E. Werner
- Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, Origovägen 6B, 412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - K. D. Dorfman
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - B. Mehlig
- Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, Origovägen 6B, 412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
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