Camunas-Soler…Ritort {Annu Rev Biophys 45: 65}
DNA elasticity from pulling experiments. (Left) Normalized force-extension curves of dsDNA stretching (black), ssDNA stretching (blue), and dsDNA unzipping (red). (Right) DNA double-helical structure showing how bending stiffness and orientation reflect preference of base-pairs to assume different geometic configurations.
Elastic Properties of Nucleic Acids by Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy
Camunas-Soler J, Ribezzi-Crivellari M, Ritort F.
Annu Rev Biophys 2016 Jul.; 45: 65.
We review the current knowledge on the use of single-molecule force spectroscopy techniques to extrapolate the elastic properties of nucleic acids. We emphasize the lesser-known elastic properties of single-stranded DNA. We discuss the importance of accurately determining the elastic response in pulling experiments, and we review the simplest models used to rationalize the experimental data as well as the experimental approaches used to pull single-stranded DNA. Applications used to investigate DNA conformational transitions and secondary structure formation are also highlighted. Finally, we provide an overview of the effects of salt and temperature and briefly discuss the effects of contour length and sequence dependence.
PubMed: 27145878. Doi: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-062215-011158.
