Mechanics of DNA: sequence dependent elasticity

Krishnan Raghunathan; Yih-Fan Chen; Justin Blaty; Benjamin Arthur Juliar; Joshua Milstein; Jens-Christian Meiners

doi:10.1117/12.895297

9 September 2011 Mechanics of DNA: sequence dependent elasticity

Krishnan Raghunathan, Yih-Fan Chen, Justin Blaty, Benjamin Arthur Juliar, Joshua Milstein, Jens-Christian Meiners

Proceedings Volume 8097, Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation VIII; 80970C (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.895297
Event: SPIE NanoScience + Engineering, 2011, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

We have used constant force axial optical tweezers to understand the subtle eects of sequence variations on the mechanical properties of DNA. Using designed sequences of DNA with nearly identical curvatures, but varied AT content, we have shown the persistence length to be highly dependent on the elasticity of DNA. The persistence length varies by almost thirty percent between sequences containing 61% AT and 45% AT. The biological implications of this can be substantial, as the need to bend DNA is involved in a host of regulatory schemes, ranging from nucleosome positioning to the formation of protein-mediated repressor and enhancer loops.

Citation Download Citation

Krishnan Raghunathan, Yih-Fan Chen, Justin Blaty, Benjamin Arthur Juliar, Joshua Milstein, and Jens-Christian Meiners "Mechanics of DNA: sequence dependent elasticity", Proc. SPIE 8097, Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation VIII, 80970C (9 September 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.895297

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