Overlapping two self-avoiding polymers in a closed cylindrical pore: Implications for chromosome segregation in a bacterial cell

Abstract

We study the spatial organization and segregation of two self-avoiding polymers trapped inside a closed cylindrical pore. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we show how confinement shapes the chains, especially their mutual (entropic) force, chain miscibility, and segregation dynamics. Under strong confinement, the chains are shown to repel more strongly and thus segregate better, if they are shorter and the confining space is more asymmetric.