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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

Sequential Salt Extractions for the Analysis of Bulk Chromatin Binding Properties of Chromatin Modifying Complexes

Sequential Salt Extractions for the Analysis of Bulk Chromatin Binding Properties of Chromatin Modifying Complexes

Published on: October 2, 2017

Do monovalent mobile ions affect DNA's flexibility at high salt content?

Alexey Savelyev¹

¹Institute of Applied Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Petropavlivska st. 58, Sumy, 40030, Ukraine. alexsav.science@gmail.com

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP

|January 17, 2012

Summary

High salt concentrations significantly decrease DNA persistence length by 25%, challenging established theories. This finding suggests a new understanding of DNA rigidity is needed.

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Sequential Salt Extractions for the Analysis of Bulk Chromatin Binding Properties of Chromatin Modifying Complexes

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Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water

Published on: August 2, 2012

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Computational Biology
Molecular Biophysics

Background:

Disagreement exists on how mobile ions affect DNA flexibility at high salt concentrations.
The variation in DNA persistence length beyond physiological ion concentrations (0.1 M) is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To computationally investigate the impact of mobile ions on DNA conformational flexibility at high salt content.
To determine how DNA persistence length changes with increasing monovalent ion concentrations.

Main Methods:

Molecular dynamics simulations were employed.
A chemically accurate coarse-grained model for double-stranded DNA with explicit mobile ions was utilized.

Main Results:

DNA persistence length notably decreases by approximately 25% in moderate-to-high ionic concentrations (0.1-1 M).
Results contradict some experimental findings and the Odijk, Skolnick, and Fixman theory, which predicted negligible variation.
Findings align with other theoretical and experimental studies.

Conclusions:

The study indicates a significant reduction in DNA persistence length at higher ionic strengths.
The findings challenge existing models and suggest a need for a revised understanding of DNA rigidity.
Elastic and electrostatic effects are crucial for DNA shape, influencing its rigidity.