Winding single-molecule double-stranded DNA on a nanometer-sized reel |
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| Authors: | Huijuan You Ryota Iino Rikiya Watanabe Hiroyuki Noji |
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| Affiliation: | 1Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, 2Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 and 3CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan |
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| Abstract: | A molecular system of a nanometer-sized reel was developed from F1–ATPase, a rotary motor protein. By combination with magnetic tweezers and optical tweezers, single-molecule double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) was wound around the molecular reel. The bending stiffness of dsDNA was determined from the winding tension (0.9–6.0 pN) and the diameter of the wound loop (21.4–8.5 nm). Our results were in good agreement with the conventional worm-like chain model and a persistence length of 54 ± 9 nm was estimated. This molecular reel system offers a new platform for single-molecule study of micromechanics of sharply bent DNA molecules and is expected to be applicable to the elucidation of the molecular mechanism of DNA-associating proteins on sharply bent DNA strands. |
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