Driving proteins off DNA using applied tension
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Stretching Short Sequences of DNA with Constant Force Axial Optical Tweezers
Published on: October 13, 2011
1Department of Physics, The University of Illinois at Chicago, 60607-7059, USA. marko@isolda.phy.uic.edu
Abstract:
Proteins that bind DNA so as to reduce its end-to-end length can be dissociated by application of force. The thermodynamics of this process are discussed, with special attention to the case of histones bound to DNA (i.e., a string of nucleosomes, or chromatin fiber). The histone octamer is predicted to be driven off chromatin fiber for tensions >2 piconewtons.
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