Plasmid DNA adsorption on silica: kinetics and conformational changes in monovalent and divalent salts

A quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) is used to determine the adsorption rate of a supercoiled plasmid DNA onto a quartz surface and the structure of the resulting adsorbed DNA layer. To better understand the DNA adsorption mechanisms and the adsorbed layer physicochemical properties, the QCM-D data are complemented by dynamic light scattering measurements of diffusion coefficients of the DNA molecules as a function of solution ionic composition. The data from simultaneous monitoring of variations in frequency and dissipation energy with the QCM-D suggest that the adsorbed DNA layer is more rigid in the presence of divalent (calcium) cations compared to monovalent (sodium) cations. Adsorption rates are significantly higher in the presence of calcium, attaining a transport-limited rate at about 1 mM Ca2+. Results further suggest that in low ionic strength solutions containing 1 mM Ca2+ and in moderately high ionic strength solutions containing 300 mM NaCl, plasmid DNA adsorption to negatively charged mineral surfaces is irreversible.