Properties of ideal composite knots.

Détails

ID Serval
serval:BIB_3CB016ECB8F3
Type
Article: article d'un périodique ou d'un magazine.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Titre
Properties of ideal composite knots.
Périodique
Nature
Auteur⸱e⸱s
Katritch V., Olson W.K., Pieranski P., Dubochet J., Stasiak A.
ISSN
0028-0836[print], 0028-0836[linking]
Statut éditorial
Publié
Date de publication
07/1997
Volume
388
Numéro
6638
Pages
148-151
Langue
anglais
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
Publication Status: ppublish
Résumé
The shortest tube of constant diameter that can form a given knot represents the 'ideal' form of the knot. Ideal knots provide an irreducible representation of the knot, and they have some intriguing mathematical and physical features, including a direct correspondence with the time-averaged shapes of knotted DNA molecules in solution. Here we describe the properties of ideal forms of composite knots-knots obtained by the sequential tying of two or more independent knots (called factor knots) on the same string. We find that the writhe (related to the handedness of crossing points) of composite knots is the sum of that of the ideal forms of the factor knots. By comparing ideal composite knots with simulated configurations of knotted, thermally fluctuating DNA, we conclude that the additivity of writhe applies also to randomly distorted configurations of composite knots and their corresponding factor knots. We show that composite knots with several factor knots may possess distinct structural isomers that can be interconverted only by loosening the knot.
Mots-clé
Computer Simulation, Models, Chemical, Models, Molecular, Nucleic Acid Conformation
Pubmed
Web of science
Création de la notice
24/01/2008 10:25
Dernière modification de la notice
20/08/2019 13:32
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