Biopolymers and cell. 1987. Volume 3. № 2. 66 - 71

V. V. Anshelevich, A. V. Vologodskii

EFFECT OF NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE ON KINETICS OF DNA MELTING

Summary

    Kinetics of cooperative melting of DNA regions located at the edge of the helix is considered. Exact calculations show that a nucleotide sequence of such regions exerts a considerable effect on the process. Internal heterogeneity may increase the relaxation time by a few orders of magnitude as compared with the value when stability of base pairs throughout the region is assumed to be the same. Simple characteristics of the sequence which determine relaxation time of the process are presented.