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Probing DNA and RNA single molecules with a double optical tweezer

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Abstract.

A double-tweezer setup is used to induce mechanical stress in systems of molecular biology. A double strand of DNA is first stretched and the data is compared to precedent experiments to check the experimental setup. Then a short foldable fragment of RNA is probed; the typical unfolding/refolding hysteresis behaviour of this kind of construction is shown and followed by a study of its elasticity and a comparison to a worm-like chain model. Eventually, we describe the unfolding of a larger RNA structure, which unfolds by multiple steps. We show that this unfolding is not reversible and that it presents numerous unfolding pathways.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Nanobiophysique, UMR CNRS 7083, ESPCI, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75231, Paris Cedex 05, France

    P. Mangeol & U. Bockelmann

  2. Laboratoire Pierre Aigrain, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 24 rue Lhomond, 75231, Paris Cedex 05, France

    P. Mangeol, D. Côte, O. Legrand & U. Bockelmann

  3. Institut de Biologie Physico-chimique, UPR CNRS 9073, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005, Paris, France

    T. Bizebard

Authors
  1. P. Mangeol
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  2. D. Côte
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  3. T. Bizebard
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  4. O. Legrand
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  5. U. Bockelmann
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to U. Bockelmann .

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Mangeol, P., Côte, D., Bizebard, T. et al. Probing DNA and RNA single molecules with a double optical tweezer. Eur. Phys. J. E 19, 311–317 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2005-10060-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2005-10060-4

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