{"title":"DNA relaxation dynamics in crowded environments: Influence of PEG molecular weight and viscosity.","authors":"Yunosuke Fuji, Yota Nojiri, Yuuta Moriyama, Toshiyuki Mitsui","doi":"10.1063/5.0257786","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The coil-globule transition is a key phenomenon in polymer physics, where polymer chains shift between collapsed and extended states. This study investigates the relaxation dynamics of T4 DNA transitioning from an electrohydrodynamically compressed globule to a relaxed coil state in polyethylene glycol (PEG) solutions of varying molecular weights. Using an AC electric field to induce globule formation, we analyzed DNA expansion upon field cessation. Higher molecular weight PEG, particularly PEG 20000, markedly prolonged relaxation times and exhibited broader distributions compared to PEG 4000 and PEG 6000. In PEG 20000, exceeding the overlap concentration stabilized multi-core structures and delayed DNA relaxation. These dynamics diverged from simple exponential relaxation due to persistent entanglements and compressed regions. The findings highlight the significance of crowding effects and viscosity in influencing polymer dynamics, providing insights relevant to biological systems and synthetic applications, such as drug delivery and gene therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":15313,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Physics","volume":"162 17","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Chemical Physics","FirstCategoryId":"92","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0257786","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The coil-globule transition is a key phenomenon in polymer physics, where polymer chains shift between collapsed and extended states. This study investigates the relaxation dynamics of T4 DNA transitioning from an electrohydrodynamically compressed globule to a relaxed coil state in polyethylene glycol (PEG) solutions of varying molecular weights. Using an AC electric field to induce globule formation, we analyzed DNA expansion upon field cessation. Higher molecular weight PEG, particularly PEG 20000, markedly prolonged relaxation times and exhibited broader distributions compared to PEG 4000 and PEG 6000. In PEG 20000, exceeding the overlap concentration stabilized multi-core structures and delayed DNA relaxation. These dynamics diverged from simple exponential relaxation due to persistent entanglements and compressed regions. The findings highlight the significance of crowding effects and viscosity in influencing polymer dynamics, providing insights relevant to biological systems and synthetic applications, such as drug delivery and gene therapy.
期刊介绍：
The Journal of Chemical Physics publishes quantitative and rigorous science of long-lasting value in methods and applications of chemical physics. The Journal also publishes brief Communications of significant new findings, Perspectives on the latest advances in the field, and Special Topic issues. The Journal focuses on innovative research in experimental and theoretical areas of chemical physics, including spectroscopy, dynamics, kinetics, statistical mechanics, and quantum mechanics. In addition, topical areas such as polymers, soft matter, materials, surfaces/interfaces, and systems of biological relevance are of increasing importance.
Topical coverage includes:
Theoretical Methods and Algorithms
Advanced Experimental Techniques
Atoms, Molecules, and Clusters
Liquids, Glasses, and Crystals
Surfaces, Interfaces, and Materials
Polymers and Soft Matter
Biological Molecules and Networks.
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