DNA denaturation in the rodlike polyelectrolyte model

AbstractThe denaturation of the DNA is analyzed using an analytic model. The DNA molecules are described in the Primitive Model of Polyelectrolytes (PMP), where the polyelectrolyte molecules are cylinders with charged sites. We show that the DNA stabilization arises as the result of the competition between the electrostatic repulsion of the phosphate groups and the attractive forces of the H-bonds. We also show that the addition of salt in the system screens the electrostatic interactions and favors the double strand configuration