title: Compaction dynamics of single DNA molecules under tension.
abstract: Using transverse magnetic tweezers, we studied the dynamics of DNA compaction induced by hexaammine cobalt chloride under constant forces. Discontinuous DNA compaction events were found for forces ranging from 0.5 to 1.7 pN, with approximately 270 nm DNA adsorbed in each compaction event. Forces larger than 6 pN were found able to unravel the toroid in a similar intermittent stepwise manner. The observations indicate that the folding/unfolding events are transitions between two metastable structural states which are separated by a tension-dependent energy barrier. Analysis of the waiting time revealed that the degree of the package ordering of DNA in a toroid depends on the compaction kinetics.
authors.affiliation: Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Bo
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Xiao-Ling
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xing-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shi-Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ran
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003035:Cobalt / Q000737:chemistry; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; C030862:cobalt ammonium complex; D003035:Cobalt