Issue |
Europhys. Lett.
Volume 55, Number 2, July 2001
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 294 - 300 | |
Section | Interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/epl/i2001-00412-2 | |
Published online | 01 December 2003 |
Direct observation of DNA molecules in a convection flow of a drying droplet
1
Institute of Organoelement Compounds, Russian
Academy of Sciences Vavilova St. 28, Moscow 117813,
Russia
2
Graduate School of Human Informatics, Nagoya University
Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
3
Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science,
Kyoto University, CREST Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
Received:
21
July
2000
Accepted:
3
May
2001
The motion of single T4 DNA molecules (166 kilo-base pairs) was studied by fluorescence microscopy in a drying droplet of polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution on a glass surface. An ordered flow was observed in the vicinity of the droplet contact line. A high stretching of the DNA molecules was found at the droplet periphery, whereas in its central part the DNA molecules were in a random coil state. With the increase of PEG concentration, individual DNA molecules show collapse transition directly from the stretched conformation after the formation of nuclei at the ends of the chain. Without PEG all the DNA molecules were in a random coil state and slowly diffused to the droplet boundary. They were trapped in a narrow region near the contact line.
PACS: 87.14.Gg – DNA, RNA / 87.15.He – Dynamics and conformational changes / 87.15.La – Mechanical properties
© EDP Sciences, 2001
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