Topological digestion drives time-varying rheology of entangled DNA fluids.

ABSTRACT: Understanding and controlling the rheology of polymeric complex fluids that are pushed out-of-equilibrium is a fundamental problem in both industry and biology. For example, to package, repair, and replicate DNA, cells use enzymes to constantly manipulate DNA topology, length, and structure. Inspired by this feat, here we engineer and study DNA-based complex fluids that undergo enzymatically-driven topological and architectural alterations via restriction endonuclease (RE) reactions. We show that these systems display time-dependent rheological properties that depend on the concentrations and properties of the comprising DNA and REs. Through time-resolved microrheology experiments and Brownian Dynamics simulations, we show that conversion of supercoiled to linear DNA topology leads to a mo

SUBMITTER: Michieletto D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9334285 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature