title: Transport of long neutral polymers in the semidilute regime through a protein nanopore.
abstract: We investigate the entrance of single poly(ethylene glycol) chains into an α-hemolysin channel. We detect the frequency and duration of the current blockades induced by large neutral polymers, where chain radius is larger than pore diameter. In the semidilute regime, these chains pass only if the monomer concentration is larger than a well-defined threshold. Experiments are performed in a very large domain of concentration and molecular mass, up to 35% and 200 kDa, respectively, which was previously unexplored. The variation of the dwell time as a function of molecular mass shows that the chains are extracted from the semidilute solution in contact with the pore by a reptation mechanism.
authors.affiliation: LAMBE UMR 8587 CNRS, Universités d'Évry Val d'Essonne and Cergy-Pontoise, 91025 Évry, France.
authors.forename: Abdel Ghani
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Oukhaled
authors.forename: Anne-Laure
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Biance
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pelta
authors.forename: Loic
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Auvray
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bacri
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008970:Molecular Weight; D058608:Nanopores; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D011108:Polymers