Biopolymers and peristence length

[Stratos4]

Hi there all..

I would really need your help with the following problem.

Supposing you have two or more polymers, with the same persistence length but varying contour lengths, that are firmly attached in a parallel way upon e.g. a wall.

[URL]http://img16.imageshack.us/i/75897307.jpg/[/URL]

The bead on the left is stationary, and the polymers are part of the cell wall on the right and suppose that the wall starts moving towards the right direction.

If the contour lengths are different it means that at a certain distance one of the two polymers will slip and then i will only have 1 polymer left.

a) In this case (one polymer) the new persistence length will be higher than the old one (of the two polymers)?
b) If the new persistence length is lower than the old one can this mean that the polymer portion which is attached on the sphere unfolds, hence gaining contour length but losing persistence length?

I am waiting for your responses :)

edit: I now see that the image i uploaded is not there...
http://img16.imageshack.us/i/75897307.jpg/

 

[Achy47]

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out for help with this problem. It is an interesting question and I am happy to provide some insight.

a) In the case of one polymer, the new persistence length will not necessarily be higher than the old one. The persistence length is a physical property of the polymer and is not affected by the presence of other polymers. However, the effective persistence length of the remaining polymer may appear to be higher due to the absence of the other polymer.

b) If the new persistence length is lower than the old one, it is possible that the polymer portion attached to the sphere may unfold, gaining contour length but losing persistence length. This is because the persistence length is a measure of the flexibility of a polymer, and if the polymer is stretched out due to the movement of the wall, it may appear to have a lower persistence length.

I hope this helps answer your questions. If you have any further inquiries, please feel free to ask. Good luck with your research!