Abstract
We observed giant double-stranded DNA chains by fluorescence microscopy
in an aqueous environment. We found that the coil-globule transition
of T4DNA, 166kbp, induced by spermidine is markedly discrete for
individual chains, and continuous for their ensemble average. Simple
theoretical consideration is given taking account of the hierarchy
of the system. It is suggested that the unique characteristics of
the transition for long DNA has a general significance for the coil-globule
transition in other biological and synthetic ''stiff polymers.''
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