The tyranny of correspondence principle Comment on 'Fluctuations in the DNA double helix: A critical review' by Maxim D. Frank-Kamenetskii and Shikha Prakash

摘要

The paper [1] by M.D. Frank-Kamenetskii and S. Prakash is a timely review of a controversy which exists in the literature about fluctuational openings in DNA double helix, and all related matters. Authors discuss two theoretical approaches to the problem of fluctuations in DNA, one viewing helix openings as fluctuations of melting over a short DNA length, and the other based on an attempt to directly describe the DNA dynamics by guessing a few generalized coordinates with appropriate Hamiltonian and, in particular, ignoring the role of water. Authors review both approaches, forcefully advocating the former one, based on extrapolation of the DNA melting theory.