Probing physical properties of a DNA-protein complex using nanofluidic channels

Karolin Frykholm; Mohammadreza Alizadehheidari; Joachim Fritzsche; Jens Wigenius; Mauro Modesti; Fredrik Persson; Fredrik Westerlund

doi:10.1002/smll.201302028

Probing physical properties of a DNA-protein complex using nanofluidic channels

Small. 2014 Mar 12;10(5):884-7. doi: 10.1002/smll.201302028. Epub 2014 Jan 2.

Authors

Karolin Frykholm¹, Mohammadreza Alizadehheidari, Joachim Fritzsche, Jens Wigenius, Mauro Modesti, Fredrik Persson, Fredrik Westerlund

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden.

PMID: 24382826
DOI: 10.1002/smll.201302028

Abstract

A method to investigate physical properties of a DNA-protein complex in solution is demonstrated. By using tapered nanochannels and lipid passivation the persistence length of a RecA filament formed on double-stranded DNA is determined to 1.15 μm, in agreement with the literature, without attaching protein or DNA to any handles or surfaces.

Keywords: DNA; fluorescence; lipid passivation; nanofluidics; proteins.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biophysical Phenomena*
DNA / chemistry*
DNA, Circular / metabolism
Microfluidics / methods*
Nanotechnology / methods*
Rec A Recombinases / chemistry*

Substances

DNA, Circular
DNA
Rec A Recombinases