Single-molecule enzymology based on the principle of the Millikan oil drop experiment

The ability to monitor the progress of single-molecule enzyme reactions is often limited by the need to use fluorogenic substrates. A method based on the principle of the Millikan oil drop experiment was developed to monitor the change in charge of substrates bound to a nanoparticle and offers a means of detecting single-enzyme reactions without fluorescence detection. As a proof of principle of the ability to monitor reactions that result in a change in substrate charge, polymerization on a single DNA template was detected. A custom oligonucleotide was synthesized that allowed for the attachment of single DNA templates to gold nanoparticles with a single polymer tether. The nanoparticles were then tethered to the surface of a microfluidic channel where the positions of the nanoparticles, subjected to an oscillating electric field, were monitored using dark field microscopy. With short averaging times, the signal-to-noise level was low enough to discriminate changes in charge of less than 1.2%. Polymerization of a long DNA template demonstrated the ability to use the system to monitor single-molecule enzymatic activity. Finally, nanoparticle surfaces were modified with thiolated moieties to reduce and/or shield the number of unproductive charges and allow for improved sensitivity.