title: Recent highlights from atomic force microscopy of DNA.
abstract: Abstract   Seven recent highlights are presented from atomic force microscopy (AFM) of DNA in this lab. The first two involve advances in the observation of enzymatic reactions in near-physiological solutions. E. coli RNA polymerase was observed to process along its DNA template in a series of time-lapse images [S. Kasas, et al., Biochemistry 36, 461 (1997)], and a new small-cantilever atomic force microscope (AFM) imaged DNA degradation by DNase I at rates as fast as two seconds per image. The next five highlights involve structural observations of DNA and DNA-protein complexes, including DNA condensed for gene delivery, sequence-dependent DNA condensation, an AFM assay for RNA polymerase, and AFM evidence for a yeast kinetochore complex that may be involved in holding together sister chromatids during cell division.
authors.affiliation: a      Department of Physics   ,  University of California   ,    Santa Barbara   ,    CA   ,    93106.
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Hansma
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Pietrasanta
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Golan
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sitko
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Viani
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Paloczi
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thrower
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Hansma
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases