Differential binding free energy (ΔΔG bind. (kJ/mol)) of nucleosomal DNA.

<p>(A) Differential binding free energy values for single and multiple methylated CpG steps with respect to un-methylated sequences; methylations at major groove positions (blue) are better tolerated than at minor groove positions (light orange). Multiple methylations show a cumulative effect on the differential binding energy, following the trend of single methylations (methylation in major groove in dark blue, mixed major-minor groove in green, and minor groove in dark red). The exact location of each mutation is listed in Table S1 in <a href="http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003354#pcbi.1003354.s001" target="_blank">Text S1</a>. (B) Correlation between the variation in free energy (ΔΔG (kJ/mol)) and the variation in elastic energy (ΔΔE (kJ/mol)) for single (black dots) or multiple (red squares) methylated CpG steps in the nucleosomal DNA.