Peeling single-stranded DNA from graphite surface to determine oligonucleotide binding energy by force spectroscopy.

ABSTRACT: We measured the force required to peel single-stranded DNA molecules from single-crystal graphite using chemical force microscopy. Force traces during retraction of a tip chemically modified with oligonucleotides displayed characteristic plateaus with abrupt force jumps, which we interpreted as a steady state peeling process punctuated by complete detachment of one or more molecules. We were able to differentiate between bases in pyrimidine homopolymers; peeling forces were 85.3 - 4.7 pN for polythymine and 60.8 +/- 5.5 pN for polycytosine, substantially independent of salt concentration and the rate of detachment. We developed a model for peeling a freely jointed chain from the graphite surface and estimated the average binding energy per monomer to be 11.5 +/- 0.6 k(B)T and 8.3 +/- 0.7 k

SUBMITTER: Manohar S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2772178 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature