Passive entry of a DNA molecule into a small pore
- 22 June 1999
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Vol. 96 (13) , 7262-7264
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.96.13.7262
Abstract
I consider a vesicle with an open pore of small radius rp, exposed to a DNA solution. The crucial moment is the entry, when a chain end faces the pore and enters it. I discuss qualitatively the following three characteristic times: (i) the duration of the entry of one chain end (defining the minimum lifetime of the pore) τe ∼ 10−4 sec, (ii) the transfection time τt (the time required to be sure that one chain has gone in) τt ∼ hours, and (iii) the sliding time τS (the time between entry of one end and entry of the other end) ∼ 1 sec. A fortunate feature is that sliding may proceed even if the pore tends to close itself after entry.Keywords
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