We study the elastic response of a wormlike polymer chain with reversible kinklike structural defects. This is a generic model for (a) the double-stranded DNA with sharp bends induced by binding of certain proteins, and (b) effects of trans-gauche rotations in the backbone of the single-stranded DNA. The problem is solved both analytically and numerically by generalizing the well-known analogy to the quantum rotator. In the small stretching force regime, we find that the persistence length is renormalized due to the presence of the kinks. In the opposite regime, the response to the strong stretching is determined solely by the bare persistence length with exponential corrections due to the “ideal gas of kinks.” This high-force behavior changes significantly in the limit of high bending rigidity of the chain. In that case, the leading corrections to the mechanical response are likely to be due to the formation of multikink structures, such as kink pairs.

• Received 27 October 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.71.051905