Theoretical treatment of helix–coil transition of complexes DNA with two different ligands having different binding parameters

Abstract

The melting transition of DNA–ligand complexes, allowing for two binding mechanisms to different DNA conformations is treated theoretically. The obtained results express the behavior of the experimentally measurable quantities, degree of denaturation, and concentrations of bound ligands on the temperature. The range of binding parameters is obtained, where denaturation curves become multiphasic. The possible application to the nanocomposites crystallization is discussed.

Keywords:

• DNA
• binding parameters
• degree of denaturation
• DNA–ligand complexes
• helix–coil transition