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Updated: Jul 16, 2026
08:02
Synthetic Condensates and Cell-Like Architectures from Amphiphilic DNA Nanostructures
Published on: May 31, 2024
Water clustering and percolation in low hydration DNA shells
Ivan Brovchenko1, Aliaksei Krukau, Alla Oleinikova
1Physical Chemistry, Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn-Str. 6, Dortmund D-44227, Germany. brov@heineken.chemie.uni-dortmund.de
The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B
|March 29, 2007
Summary
Water networks on DNA surfaces undergo a percolation transition at intermediate hydration, influencing DNA structure. This transition is key to understanding DNA
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Structural Biology
- Computational Chemistry
Background:
- Water molecules play a crucial role in DNA structure and function.
- The hydration shell of DNA influences its polymorphic transitions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the hydrogen-bonded water networks on a model DNA surface.
- To investigate the relationship between water percolation and DNA polymorphism.
Main Methods:
- Computational analysis of water networks at varying hydration levels.
- Examination of percolation transitions in A-DNA and B-DNA hydration shells.
Main Results:
- At low hydration, small water clusters form; at high hydration, a spanning network emerges.
- A percolation transition occurs around 15 water molecules per nucleotide, near A- to B-DNA polymorphic transitions.
- Percolation mechanisms differ between A- and B-DNA due to groove involvement.
- Ions can alter the percolation threshold by disrupting water networking.
Conclusions:
- Water percolation is strongly linked to low-hydration DNA polymorphism.
- The study provides insights into the role of water and ions in DNA structural transitions.
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