Knot-controlled ejection of a polymer from a virus capsid

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dc.creatorMatthews, R
dc.creatorLouis, A. A.
dc.creatorYeomans, J. M.
dc.date2009-01-15
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T12:44:53Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T12:44:53Z
dc.descriptionWe present a numerical study of the effect of knotting on the ejection of flexible and semiflexible polymers from a spherical, virus-like capsid. The polymer ejection rate is primarily controlled by the knot, which moves to the hole in the capsid and then acts as a ratchet. Polymers with more complex knots eject more slowly and, for large knots, the knot type, and not the flexibility of the polymer, determines the rate of ejection. We discuss the relation of our results to the ejection of DNA from viral capsids and conjecture that this process has the biological advantage of unknotting the DNA before it enters a cell.
dc.description4 pages, 5 figures
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2293
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2293
dc.identifierPhys. Rev. Lett. 102 (2009) 088101
dc.identifierdoi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.088101
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/220924
dc.subjectBiomolecules
dc.subjectSoft Condensed Matter
dc.titleKnot-controlled ejection of a polymer from a virus capsid
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