Statistical Mechanics and Stability of Macromolecules
Application to Bond Disruption, Base Pair Separation, Melting, and Drug Dissociation of the DNA Double Helix

This book develops a statistical, mechanical analysis of the stability of macromolecules when melting.

Earl Prohofsky (Author)

9780521451840, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 28 July 1995

240 pages, 71 b/w illus. 25 tables
23.4 x 15.6 x 1.4 cm, 0.51 kg

This book develops a statistical mechanical analysis of the stability of biological macromolecules. The author's approach is valid both for the long time-scale needed for DNA bond disruption, and also for highly co-operative transitions needed to explain helix melting. A new theoretical approach for executing macromolecule calculations is developed. In particular, the author devises a method for describing chemical bond disruption in these large systems, which are then used to determine when the helix melts and how drugs can dissociate from the helix. Melting temperatures are found to be in excellent agreement with experimental observations. The book will be of interest to biomolecular dynamics researchers, especially to graduate students in biological physics, theoretical chemistry and molecular biology.

Preface
1. Introduction
2. Macromolecular stability
3. Lattice dynamics
4. Effective phonon theory
5. Premelting disrupted chemical bonds
6. Co-operative melting
7. Strained chemical bonds: salt and pressure effects
8. Bond disruption and conformation change: B to Z confirmation change in DNA
9. Hydration effects: structural water
10. Helix with daunomycin intercalated: increased helix stability and daunomycin-DNA bonding constant
11. Non repeating DNA
12. Cutting and splicing: junctions, inserts and the replicating fork
13. Interaction between a helix and a single attached molecule
14. Energy considerations in bond opening
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3. Index

Subject Areas: Physics [PH]