title: Bag model for DNA migration during pulsed-field electrophoresis.
abstract: A model for pulsed-field electrophoresis was developed by picturing large DNA as a deformable "bag" that (i) moves with limiting mobility in a continuous electric field, (ii) adopts an orientation aligned with the field direction, and (iii) reorients after a change in field direction in a size-dependent manner. The model correctly predicted the resolution of large DNA in a pulsed field including the surprising phenomena of mobility inversion, lateral band spreading, and improved resolution for obtuse angles. A simple parametrization agreed with observations of two completely different aspects of DNA behavior: bulk mobility as measured during gel electrophoresis and molecular reorientation as measured by linear dichroism. The model also provides quantitative guidelines for setting experimental parameters in pulsed-field electrophoresis experiments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA 94305.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004586:Electrophoresis / Q000379:methods; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D008961:Models, Structural; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation
chemical_list: D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D004247:DNA