Topological friction strongly affects viral DNA ejection

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1306601110
• Publication Date: 2013-11-23T02:38:40Z
• Authors: Davide Marenduzzo; Cristian Micheletti; Enzo Orlandini; De Witt Sumners
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Time Factors; Friction; 02 engineering and technology; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Virus Internalization; Monte Carlo simulations; Biomechanical Phenomena; 03 medical and health sciences; DNA knotting; Monte Carlo simulations; DNA, Viral; Pressure; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Bacteriophages; DNA knotting; 0210 nano-technology

Significance Bacteriophages are viruses which infect bacteria. Many of these contain double-stranded DNA packed to almost crystalline density and exploit the resulting pressure trigger ejection into infected bacterial cell. We show that kinetics is highly sensitive ordering knotting packaged which, in turn, controlled by self-interactions. The latter favor ordered spools have a lower effective or topological friction than disordered entangled structures. also find torus knots (which can be drawn on surface doughnut) exit bacteriophage easily; while complex twist formed linking ends twisted loop) slow down may stall ejection.