Unzipping DNA - towards the first step of replication

TL;DR

This paper models the initial DNA unzipping process as a critical phenomenon influenced by external force, revealing unique scaling behaviors that could impact understanding of DNA replication mechanisms.

Contribution

It introduces a novel quantum-mechanical analogy to analyze DNA unzipping, highlighting critical features and scaling behaviors relevant to biological replication.

Findings

Unzipping exhibits critical behavior under external force.

Distinct scaling laws differentiate unzipping from melting.

Long-range correlations may influence biochemical functions during replication.

Abstract

The opening of the Y-fork - the first step of DNA replication - is shown to be a critical phenomenon under an external force at one of its ends. From the results of an equivalent delocalization in a non-hermitian quantum-mechanics problem we show the different scaling behavior of unzipping and melting. The resultant long-range critical features within the unzipped part of Y might play a role in the highly correlated biochemical functions during replication.