Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Sequence-dependent DNA condensation and the electrostatic zipper.

J C Sitko1, E M Mateescu, H G Hansma

  • 1Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara 93106, USA.

Biophysical Journal
|January 14, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Nickel (II) induces sequence-dependent DNA condensation. Guanine-cytosine rich DNA (GC-DNA) undergoes Z-type conformational changes and stepwise condensation, unlike adenine-thymine rich DNA (AT-DNA).

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Recent highlights from atomic force microscopy of DNA.

Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics·2012
Same author

TectoRNA and 'kissing-loop' RNA: atomic force microscopy of self-assembling RNA structures.

Journal of microscopy·2003
Same author

Segmented nanofibers of spider dragline silk: atomic force microscopy and single-molecule force spectroscopy.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2002
Same author

Bone indentation recovery time correlates with bond reforming time.

Nature·2001
Same author

Comment on "Long-range electrostatic interactions between like-charged colloids: Steric and confinement effects".

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2001
Same author

Surface biology of DNA by atomic force microscopy.

Annual review of physical chemistry·2001

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • DNA condensation is crucial for cellular processes and nanomaterial design.
  • Different DNA sequences exhibit varying structural properties and interactions with cations.
  • Nickel (II) is known to influence DNA conformation and aggregation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the sequence-dependent effects of Ni(II) on DNA condensation.
  • To compare the condensation behavior of GC-rich DNA and AT-rich DNA in the presence of Ni(II).
  • To elucidate the conformational changes associated with Ni(II)-induced DNA condensation.

Main Methods:

  • Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to visualize DNA condensation.
  • Controlled addition of Ni(II) cations was employed.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of DNA conformation (B-type vs. Z-type) and condensation structures.

    • Main Results:

    • GC-DNA adopted a Z-type conformation and underwent stepwise condensation (folding, intermolecular aggregation, toroids, rods).
    • AT-DNA retained its B-type conformation with minimal condensation even at high Ni(II) concentrations.
    • Less Ni(II) was required for GC-DNA condensation compared to AT-DNA.
    • GC-DNA condensates showed unique structures with condensed regions surrounded by loops.

    Conclusions:

    • Ni(II) induces significant sequence-dependent DNA condensation and conformational changes.
    • GC-DNA's transition to Z-DNA is a key factor in its enhanced condensation.
    • The findings support and extend electrostatic zipper models for DNA condensation, considering Ni(II) effects and short-range interactions.