Reentrant Condensation of DNA induced by Multivalent Counterions

Abstract

A theory of condensation and resolubilization of a dilute DNA solution with growing concentration of multivalent cations, N is suggested. It is based on a new theory of screening of a macroion by multivalent cations, which shows that due to strong cation correlations at the surface of DNA the net charge of DNA changes sign at some small concentration of cations N_0. DNA condensation takes place in the vicinity of N_0, where absolute value of the DNA net charge is small and the correlation induced short range attraction dominates the Coulomb repulsion. At N > N_0 positive DNA should move in the oppisite direction in an electrophoresis experiment. From comparison of our theory with experimental values of condensation and resolubilization thresholds for DNA solution containing Spe$^{4+}$, we obtain that N_0 = 3.2 mM and that the energy of DNA condensation per nucleotide is $0.07 k_B T$.