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Pulling-Speed-Dependent Force-Extension Profiles for Semiflexible Chains

Nam-Kyung Lee ^* and D. Thirumalai 

^* Department of Physics and Institute of Fundamental Physics, Sejong University, Seoul, South Korea; and Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland

Correspondence: Address reprint requests to Nam-Kyung Lee, E-mail: lee{at}sejong.ac.kr.

We present theory and simulations to describe nonequilibrium stretching of semiflexible chains that serve as models of DNA molecules. Using a self-consistent dynamical variational approach, we calculate the force-extension curves for worm-like chains as a function of the pulling speed, v₀. Due to nonequilibrium effects the stretching force, which increases with v₀, shows nonmonotonic variations as the persistence length increases. To complement the theoretical calculations we also present Langevin simulation results for extensible worm-like chain models for the dynamics of stretching. The theoretical force-extension predictions compare well with the simulation results. The simulations show that, at high enough pulling speeds, the propagation of tension along the chain conformations transverse to the applied force occurs by the Brochard-Wyart's stem-flower mechanism. The predicted nonequilibrium effects can only be observed in double-stranded DNA at large (100 µm/s) pulling speeds.

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