[工程科技]Elastic and Proton Dynamics of the DNA.pdfVIP

8 0 0 2 r Elastic and Proton Dynamics of the DNA a M Voislav Golo∗ 8 Department of Mechancs and Mathematics 2 Moscow University Moscow 119 899, Russia ] t (Dated: March 27, 2008) f o s The subject of this report is the dynamics of elastic system in conjunction with hydrogen bonds . of the DNA. We draw attention to the draw-back of the familiar rod model of the DNA, and make t a a case of constructing models that could accommodate the intrinsic structure of the DNA. In this m respect studying the interplay among the elastic system and the protons of the DNA, is of interest, - for it could accommodate the inter-strand as well as the tunneling modes of protons. Following d this direction, we come to the conclusion that the elastic-proton dynamics may have a bearing on n biophysics of the DNA. The phenomenon of point mutations is discussed within this framework. o c PACS numbers: 87.15-v [ Keywords: DNA, hydrogen bonds, proton tunneling, mutations 1 v 6 8 0 4 . 3 0 8 0 : v I. INTRODUCTION i X r A molecule of the DNA can attain several hundred m in length. If we neglect details that have a a ˚ size of one thousand A, or less, we can visualize it as a soft shapeless line and conclude that on this scale it behaves like an ordinary polymer. In contrast, looking at its smaller segments, of one hundred ˚ A or less, we observe that it tends to be straight. Thus, borrowing a comparison from everyday lif