Interplay between folding/unfolding and helix/coil transitions in giant DNA

Biomacromolecules. 2000 Winter;1(4):597-603. doi: 10.1021/bm0055403.

Abstract

It has been well established that double-stranded DNA undergoes a melting, or helix/coil, transition into a single-stranded coil state with an increase in temperature. On the other hand, it has recently been found that, at a fixed temperature, long DNA, larger than several kilobase pairs, exhibits a discrete transition, or switching, between elongated and folded states, preserving its double-stranded structure, with the addition of various condensation agents, such as alcohol, hydrophilic polymer, multivalent cation, and cationic surfactant. In the present study, we examined the interplay between the folding/unfolding transition and the helix/coil transition in individual giant DNA molecules, by observing the conformation of single molecular chains with fluorescence microscopy. The results indicate that the helix-to-coil transition tightly cooperates with the unfolding transition in DNA.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Circular Dichroism
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Solvents
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence
  • Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Solvents
  • DNA