DNA Unzipping Transition

TL;DR

This review discusses the development of understanding the force-induced unzipping transition of DNA, highlighting theoretical models and key historical milestones in the field.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of models describing DNA unzipping, from Ising-based theories to polymer models, emphasizing the transition's physical mechanisms.

Findings

Historical progression of DNA melting theories

Introduction of force-induced unzipping in 1999

Advancements in modeling the unzipping transition

Abstract

This review focuses on the force-induced unzipping transition of double-stranded DNA. It begins with a brief history of DNA melting, which emerged alongside the growth of the field of molecular biology, juxtaposed with the advancements in physics during the same post-World War II period. The earlier theories of melting of DNA were based on the Ising model and its modifications, but gradually moved towards polymer-based models. The idea of force-induced unzipping was first introduced in 1999 as a cooperative mechanism for breaking base pairs without the need for temperature changes. The paper discusses several subsequent developments addressing different aspects of the unzipping transition.