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Analytical Debye-Huckel model for electrostatic potentials around dissolved DNA.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Wagner, K; Keyes, E; Kephart, TW; Edwards, G
Published in: Biophysical journal
July 1997

We present an analytical, Green-function-based model for the electric potential of DNA in solution, treating the surrounding solvent with the Debye-Huckel approximation. The partial charge of each atom is accounted for by modeling DNA as linear distributions of atoms on concentric cylindrical surfaces. The condensed ions of the solvent are treated with the Debye-Huckel approximation. The resultant leading term of the potential is that of a continuous shielded line charge, and the higher order terms account for the helical structure. Within several angstroms of the surface there is sufficient information in the electric potential to distinguish features and symmetries of DNA. Plots of the potential and equipotential surfaces, dominated by the phosphate charges, reflect the structural differences between the A, B, and Z conformations and, to a smaller extent, the difference between base sequences. As the distances from the helices increase, the magnitudes of the potentials decrease. However, the bases and sugars account for a larger fraction of the double helix potential with increasing distance. We have found that when the solvent is treated with the Debye-Huckel approximation, the potential decays more rapidly in every direction from the surface than it did in the concentric dielectric cylinder approximation.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Biophysical journal

DOI

EISSN

1542-0086

ISSN

0006-3495

Publication Date

July 1997

Volume

73

Issue

1

Start / End Page

21 / 30

Related Subject Headings

  • Static Electricity
  • Solvents
  • Solutions
  • Potentiometry
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Models, Molecular
  • Models, Chemical
  • DNA
  • Biophysics
  • 51 Physical sciences
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Wagner, K., Keyes, E., Kephart, T. W., & Edwards, G. (1997). Analytical Debye-Huckel model for electrostatic potentials around dissolved DNA. Biophysical Journal, 73(1), 21–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0006-3495(97)78043-3
Wagner, K., E. Keyes, T. W. Kephart, and G. Edwards. “Analytical Debye-Huckel model for electrostatic potentials around dissolved DNA.Biophysical Journal 73, no. 1 (July 1997): 21–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0006-3495(97)78043-3.
Wagner K, Keyes E, Kephart TW, Edwards G. Analytical Debye-Huckel model for electrostatic potentials around dissolved DNA. Biophysical journal. 1997 Jul;73(1):21–30.
Wagner, K., et al. “Analytical Debye-Huckel model for electrostatic potentials around dissolved DNA.Biophysical Journal, vol. 73, no. 1, July 1997, pp. 21–30. Epmc, doi:10.1016/s0006-3495(97)78043-3.
Wagner K, Keyes E, Kephart TW, Edwards G. Analytical Debye-Huckel model for electrostatic potentials around dissolved DNA. Biophysical journal. 1997 Jul;73(1):21–30.
Journal cover image

Published In

Biophysical journal

DOI

EISSN

1542-0086

ISSN

0006-3495

Publication Date

July 1997

Volume

73

Issue

1

Start / End Page

21 / 30

Related Subject Headings

  • Static Electricity
  • Solvents
  • Solutions
  • Potentiometry
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Models, Molecular
  • Models, Chemical
  • DNA
  • Biophysics
  • 51 Physical sciences