Phase diagram of mechanically stretched DNA: The salt effect

Abstract

The cations, in the form of salt, present in a solution containing DNA play a crucial role in the opening of the two strands of DNA. We use a simple non-linear model and investigate the role of these cations on the mechanical unzipping of DNA. The Hamiltonian is modified to incorporate the solvent effect and the presence of these cations in the solution. We calculate the melting temperature as well as the critical force that is required to unzip the DNA molecule as a function of salt concentration of the solution. The phase diagrams are found to be in close agreement with the experimental phase diagrams.