About the spatial organization of double-stranded DNA molecules in the cholesteric liquid-crystalline phase and dispersion particles of this phase

Abstract

The answer to a question on the organization of molecules in a cholesteric phase is well enough proved in case of low molecular mass compounds. However, in case of double-stranded nucleic acids molecules the unequivocal answer to such question is a subject of discussions. In this work an attempt to generalize the well known literary data on the structure of the cholesteric phase formed by double-stranded DNA molecules was undertaken. Besides the experimental results of authors describing the packing of these molecules in the cholesteric liquid-crystalline dispersion particles are added to these data. Comparison of the results obtained offers the possibility to come out with an assumption of high probability of the existence of both the short-range positional and long-range orientational order in arrangement of double-stranded DNA molecules in a liquid-crystalline phase, and in the particles of dispersions of this phase generated under certain conditions. The occurrence of the orientational order, i.e. rotation of 'quasinematic' layers of double-stranded DNA molecules by a small angle, defines the formation of spatially twisted (cholesteric) structure with characteristic for it physical and chemical properties.