Theoretical models for single-molecule DNA and RNA experiments: from elasticity to unzipping

We review statistical-mechanical theories of single-molecule micromanipulation experiments on nucleic acids. Firstly, models for describing polymer elasticity are introduced. We then review how these models are used to interpret single-molecule force-extension experiments on single-stranded and double-stranded DNA. Depending on the force and the molecules used, both smooth elastic behavior and abrupt structural transitions are observed. Thirdly, we show how combining the elasticity of two single nucleic acid strands with a description of the base-pairing interactions between them explains much of the phenomenology and kinetics of RNA and DNA ‘unzipping’ experiments. To cite this article: S. Cocco et al., C. R. Physique 3 (2002) 569–584.