Scraping and stapling of end-grafted DNA chains by a bioadhesive spreading vesicle to reveal chain internal friction and topological complexity

Phys Rev Lett. 2010 Aug 20;105(8):088101. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.088101. Epub 2010 Aug 17.

Abstract

Stained end-grafted DNA molecules about 20 μm long are scraped away and stretched out by the spreading front of a bioadhesive vesicle. Tethered biotin ligands bind the vesicle bilayer to a streptavidin substrate, stapling the DNAs into frozen confinement paths. Image analysis of the stapled DNA gives access, within optical resolution, to the local stretching values of individual DNA molecules swept by the spreading front, and provides evidence of self-entanglements.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adhesives / chemistry*
  • Animals
  • Biomimetic Materials / chemistry*
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • Friction*
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Unilamellar Liposomes / chemistry*

Substances

  • Adhesives
  • Unilamellar Liposomes
  • DNA