Behavior of complex knots in single DNA molecules

Phys Rev Lett. 2003 Dec 31;91(26 Pt 1):265506. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.265506. Epub 2003 Dec 31.

Abstract

We used optical tweezers to tie individual DNA molecules in knots. Although these knots become highly localized under tension, they remain surprisingly mobile and undergo thermal diffusion with classical random walk statistics. The diffusion constants of knots with different complexities correlate with theoretical calculations of knot sizes. We show that this correlation can be explained by a simple hydrodynamical model of "self-reptation" of the knot along a polymer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacteriophage lambda / chemistry
  • Bacteriophage lambda / genetics
  • Biotin / chemistry
  • DNA Ligases / chemistry
  • DNA, Viral / chemistry*
  • Elasticity
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation*

Substances

  • DNA, Viral
  • Biotin
  • DNA Ligases