Dynamics of Loop Formation in Active Chains

Abstract

SummaryWe have developed a model of chemically active polymers and investigated the role of activity in loop formation. The active chain contains catalytic and non‐catalytic sites responsible for ring closure. A chemical reaction at the catalytic bead produces a self‐generated concentration gradient and the non‐catalytic bead responds to this gradients which causes these two beads to move towards each other hence forming the loop. Because of this chemotactic response the dynamics of these active polymers are very different from the inactive chain. In particular we show that the loop formation is much more rapid in active chains in comparison to the inactive chains, which rely primarily on diffusion to bring distant portions of the chain in close proximity. Here we will also investigate the effect of macromolecuar crowder particles in loop formation time of such active polymers. The mechanism presented in this paper can be extended to other chemical systems which rely on diffussion to bring reagents into contact for reactions to occur.