A minimal model of DNA dynamics in interaction with RNA-Polymerase

We introduce a minimal mesoscopic model for the DNA/RNAP complex; this is obtained as an extension of the familiar Yakushevich model for DNA dynamics. We study in particular the existence and stability of topological solitary waves for our model, motivated by the literature on would-be solitonic excitations in DNA.

► A model for DNA–RNAP interaction using inhomogeneous coupled sine–Gordon equations.
► Solitary wave solutions of pure DNA model persist in new model.
► Standard sine–Gordon solitons are unstable under pure DNA dynamics.
► RNAP stabilizes the standard sine–Gordon soliton.
► RNAP allows for multiple stable solitary waves.