title: Combed single DNA molecules imaged by secondary ion mass spectrometry.
abstract: Studies of replication, recombination, and rearrangements at the level of individual molecules of DNA are often limited by problems of resolution or of perturbations caused by the modifications that are needed for imaging. The Combing-Imaging by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) (CIS) method helps solve these problems by combining DNA combing, cesium flooding, and quantitative imaging via the NanoSIMS 50. We show here that CIS can reveal, on the 50 nm scale, individual DNA fibers labeled with different, nonradioactive isotopes and, moreover, that it can quantify these isotopes so as to detect and measure the length of one or more short nucleic acid fragments associated with a longer fiber.
authors.affiliation: Equipe Assemblages Moléculaires: Modélisation et Imagerie SIMS, Laboratoire MERCI EA 3829, Faculté des Sciences de l'Université de Rouen, Mont Saint Aignan, France.
authors.forename: Armelle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cabin-Flaman
authors.forename: Anne-Françoise
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Monnier
authors.forename: Yannick
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Coffinier
authors.forename: Jean-Nicolas
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Audinot
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gibouin
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wirtz
authors.forename: Rabah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boukherroub
authors.forename: Henri-Noël
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Migeon
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bensimon
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jannière
authors.forename: Camille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ripoll
authors.forename: Vic
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Norris
mesh_terms: D002586:Cesium / Q000737:chemistry; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D007553:Isotope Labeling; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry; D018629:Spectrometry, Mass, Secondary Ion / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002586:Cesium; D006046:Gold; D004247:DNA; D012825:Silicon