Dynamic scaling theory of the forced translocation of a semi-flexible polymer through a nanopore

TL;DR

This paper develops a comprehensive theoretical model for the forced translocation of semi-flexible polymers through nanopores, accounting for different statistical regimes and providing equations to predict translocation times under various forces.

Contribution

It introduces a multi-regime scaling theory for semi-flexible polymer translocation, extending previous models to include rigid and ideal chain behaviors under tension.

Findings

Translocation time depends on the effective end-to-end distance exponent .

The translocation exponent ; varies between 1.5 and 1.6 depending on polymer length.

The model applies to biological polymers like DNA under force.

Abstract

We present a theoretical description of the dynamics of a semi-flexible polymer being pulled through a nanopore by an external force acting at the pore. Our theory is based on the tensile blob picture of Pincus in which the front of the tensile force propagates through the backbone of the polymer, as suggested by Sakaue and recently applied to study a completely flexible polymer with self-avoidance, by Dubbledam et al. For a semi-flexible polymer with a persistence length P , its statistics is self-avoiding for a very long chain. As the local force increases, the blob size starts to decrease. At the blob size P/a^2 , where a is the size of a monomer, the statistics becomes that of an ideal chain. As the blob size further decreases to below the persistence length P, the statistics is that of a rigid rod. We argue that semi-flexible polymer in translocation should include the three regions: a self-avoiding region, an ideal chain region and a rigid rod region, under uneven tension propagation, instead of a uniform scaling picture as in the case of a completely flexible polymer. In various regimes under the effect of weak, intermediate and strong driving forces we derive equations from which we can calculate the translocation time of the polymer. The translocation exponent is given by \alpha=1+\mu, where \mu is an effective exponent for the end-to-end distance of the semi-flexible polymer, having a value between 1/2 and 3/5, depending on the total contour length of the polymer. Our results are of relevance for forced translocation of biological polymers such as DNA through a nanopore.