title: QCM-based rupture force measurement as a tool to study DNA dehybridization and duplex stability.
abstract: The stability of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) was assessed on the basis of unwinding force measurement. Unwinding force was measured directly with a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The amplitude of its surface oscillations was controlled by supplying variable alternate voltage. Under smoothly increasing amplitude of QCM surface oscillations, dsDNA fixed on QCM surface through one of its ends got unwound. This procedure allows reliable measurement of rupture force as small as 5-10 pN. It was demonstrated that oscillations of the surface, with dsDNA bound through one of its ends to this surface, at a frequency of 14 MHz, cause helix unwinding to form two complementary parts due to viscous forces of the liquid medium. Unwinding starts at the upper end. This was proven using oligonucleotide duplexes containing mismatches in different positions. For duplexes containing complementary 20 base pairs, the helix unwinding force is equal to 30-40 pN, which is in agreement with the data obtained by means of atomic-force microscopy (AFM) for the case of unzipping mode. Graphical Abstract Rupture force depending on mismatch position in dsDNA.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Semiconductor Physics, SB RAS, 13 Ac. Lavrentiev Avenue, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia. fdultsev@isp.nsc.ru.|Novosibirsk State University, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia. fdultsev@isp.nsc.ru.
authors.forename: Fedor N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Dultsev
authors.affiliation: Institute of Semiconductor Physics, SB RAS, 13 Ac. Lavrentiev Avenue, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia.
authors.forename: Eugeny A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Kolosovsky
authors.affiliation: Novosibirsk State University, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia.|Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, 8 Lavrentiev Avenue, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia.
authors.forename: Alexander A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lomzov
authors.affiliation: Novosibirsk State University, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia.|Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, 8 Lavrentiev Avenue, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia.
authors.forename: Dmitrii V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Pyshnyi
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D058525:Quartz Crystal Microbalance Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D004247:DNA
keywords: Bond rupture; DNA duplex; QCM