Stretching and imaging of single DNA chains on a hydrophobic polymer surface made of amphiphilic alternating comb-copolymer.
Functionalization of amine derivatized glass slides with a poly(maleic anhydride)-based comb-copolymer to facilitate stretching, aligning, and imaging of individual dsDNA chains is presented. The polymer-coated surface is hydrophobic due to the presence of the long alkyl side chains along the polymer backbone. The surface is also characterized by low roughness and a globular morphology. Stretched and aligned bacteriophage λ-DNA chains were obtained using a robust method based on stretching by a receding water meniscus at pH 7.8 without the need for small droplet volumes or precoating the surface with additional layers of (bio)molecules. Although the dye to DNA base pairs ratio did not influence substantially the stretching length distributions, a clear peak at stretching lengths close to the contour length of the dsDNA is visible at larger staining ratios.
Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 3 Research Link, Singapore 117602.
Rongrong
R
Liu
Sheau Tyug
ST
Wong
Peggy Pei Zhi
PP
Lau
Nikodem
N
Tomczak
D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000235:genetics; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008299:Maleic Anhydrides / Q000737:chemistry*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004279:DNA, Viral; D008299:Maleic Anhydrides; D011108:Polymers; C016683:polymaleic anhydride