An optical trap combined with three-color FRET

J Am Chem Soc. 2013 Dec 11;135(49):18260-3. doi: 10.1021/ja408767p. Epub 2013 Nov 26.

Abstract

We developed a hybrid technique combining optical tweezers and single-molecule three-color fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). In demonstrative experiments, we observed the force-sensitive correlated motion of three helical arms of a Holliday junction and identified the independent unfolding/folding dynamics of two DNA hairpins of the same length. With 3 times the number of observable elements of single-molecule FRET, this new instrument will enable the measurement of the complex, multidimensional effects of mechanical forces in various biomolecular systems, such as RNA and proteins.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • DNA / chemistry*
  • Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer / methods*
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Optics and Photonics*

Substances

  • DNA