Sequence-dependent effects on the properties of semiflexible biopolymers

Abstract

Using a path integral technique, we show exactly that for a semiflexible biopolymer in constant extension ensemble, no matter how long the polymer and how large the external force, the effects of short-range correlations in the sequence-dependent spontaneous curvatures and torsions can be incorporated into a model with well-defined mean spontaneous curvature and torsion as well as a renormalized persistence length. Moreover, for a long biopolymer with large mean persistence length, the sequence-dependent persistence lengths can be replaced by their mean. However, for a short biopolymer or for a biopolymer with small persistence lengths, inhomogeneity in persistence lengths tends to make physical observables very sensitive to details and therefore less predictable.