Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-2006
Department 1
Physics
Abstract
Interactions between short strands of DNA can be tuned from repulsive to attractive by varying solution conditions and have been quantified using small angle x-ray scattering techniques. The effective DNA interaction charge was extracted by fitting the scattering profiles with the generalized one-component method and inter-DNA Yukawa pair potentials. A significant charge is measured at low to moderate monovalent counterion concentrations, resulting in strong inter-DNA repulsion. The charge and repulsion diminish rapidly upon the addition of divalent counterions. An intriguing short range attraction is observed at surprisingly low divalent cation concentrations, ~16 mM Mg2+. Quantitative measurements of inter- DNA potentials are essential for improving models of fundamental interactions in biological systems.
Copyright Note
This is the publisher's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Qiu, X., Kwok, L.W., Park, H.Y., Lamb, J.S., Andresen, K., & Pollack, L. (2006). Measuring inter-DNA potentials in solution. Physical Review Letters, 96(138101). http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.138101
Required Publisher's Statement
Copyright 2006, The American Physical Society. First published as X Qiu et al, Measuring inter-DNA potentials in solution, Physical Review Letters, 96, 138101, doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.138101.