Abstract
Recent theoretical and experimental advances have clarified the major effects of knotting on the properties of stretched chains. Yet, how knotted chains respond to weak mechanical stretching and how this behavior differs from the unknotted case are still open questions and we address them here by profiling the complete stretching response of chains of hundreds of monomers and different topology. We find that the ratio of the knotted and unknotted chain extensions varies nonmonotonically with the applied force. This surprising feature is shown to be a signature of the crossover between the well-known high-force stretching regime and the previously uncharacterized low-force one. The observed differences of knotted and unknotted chain response increases with knot complexity and are sufficiently marked that they could be harnessed in single-molecule contexts to infer the presence and complexity of physical knots in micron-long biomolecules.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
