Synthesis of extended nanoscale optical encoders.
An optical encoder is a device that uses an interrupted light source-sensor pair to map linear or rotational motion onto a periodic signal. Simple, inexpensive optical encoders are used for precise positioning in machines such as desktop printers, disk drives, and astronomical telescopes. A strand of DNA labeled with a series of Förster resonance energy transfer acceptor dyes can perform the same function at the nanometer scale, producing a periodic fluorescence signal that encodes the movement of a single donor-labeled molecular motor with high spatial and temporal resolution. Previous measurements of this type have employed encoders limited to five acceptor dyes, and hence five signal periods, restricting the range of motion that could be followed. Here we describe two methods for synthesizing double-stranded DNA containing several to hundreds of regularly spaced dyes on one strand. Distinct functional groups incorporated at the encoder ends enable tethering for single-molecule measurements.
Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA.
Charles E
CE
Wickersham
Daniel H S
DH
Kerr
Everett A
EA
Lipman
D001483:Base Sequence; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011088:DNA Ligases / Q000378:metabolism; D004735:Energy Transfer; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D055620:Optical Phenomena; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D004247:DNA; D011088:DNA Ligases