Extensions of the worm-like-chain model to tethered active filaments under tension

Energy/entropy partition of force at DNA stretching

We compute by molecular simulation the energy/entropic partition of the force in a stretched double-stranded (ds)DNA molecule that is not yet available from the single-molecule measurements. Simulation using the coarse-grained wormlike chain (WLC) model predicts a gradual decrease in the internal (bending) energy of DNA at stretching. The ensuing negative energy contribution to force f_U is outweighed by the positive entropy contribution f_S . The ratio f_U /f, used to assess the polymer elasticity, is about -1 at the moderate extension of DNA. At the high extension, the extra energy expenses due to the contour length elongation make the ratio f_U /f less negative. The simulation findings of the hybrid energy/entropy nature of DNA elasticity at weak and moderate forces are supported by computations using the thermoelastic method mimicking the polymer experiments in bulk. It is contended that the observation of the negative energy elasticity in DNA can be generalized to other semiflexible polymers described by the WLC model.

Self-induced hydrodynamic coil-stretch transition of active polymers

We analyze the conformational dynamics and statistical properties of an active polymer model. The polymer is described as a freely jointed bead-rod chain subject to stochastic active force dipoles that act on the suspending solvent where they drive long-ranged fluid flows. Using Langevin simulations of isolated chains in unconfined domains, we show how the coupling of active flows with polymer conformations leads to emergent dynamics. Systems with contractile dipoles behave similarly to passive Brownian chains with enhanced fluctuations due to dipolar flows. In systems with extensile dipoles, however, our simulations uncover an active coil-stretch transition whereby the polymer spontaneously unfolds and stretches out in its own self-induced hydrodynamic flow, and we characterize this transition in terms of a dimensionless activity parameter comparing active dipolar forces to thermal fluctuations. We discuss our findings in the context of the classic coil-stretch transition of passive polymers in extensional flows and complement our simulations with a simple kinetic model for an active trimer.