When a DNA Triple helix melts: An analog of the Efimov state

TL;DR

This paper predicts a novel biological Efimov effect in DNA triple helices, where three strands can bind together without any two being bound, using theoretical and numerical methods.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of a biological Efimov state in DNA, demonstrating a three-strand bound state without pairwise binding through scaling theory and numerical validation.

Findings

Three-strand DNA systems can form bound states without two-strand binding.

The phenomenon is analogous to Efimov states in quantum mechanics.

Theoretical and numerical methods support the prediction.

Abstract

The base sequences of DNA contain the genetic code and to decode it a double helical DNA has to open its base pairs. Recent studies have shown that one can use a third strand to identify the base sequences without opening the double helix but by forming a triple helix. It is predicted here that such a three chain system exhibits the unusual behaviour of the existence of a three chain bound state in the absence of any two being bound. This phenomenon is analogous to the Efimov state in three particle quantum mechanics. A scaling theory is used to justify the Efimov connection. Real space renormalization group (RG), and exact numerical calculations are used to validate the prediction of a biological Efimov effect.