Abstract
We report the first measurement of the dynamics of bubble formation in double-stranded DNA. Fluctuations of fluorescence of a synthetic DNA construct, internally tagged with a fluorophore and a quencher, are monitored by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. The relaxation dynamics follow a multistate relaxation kinetics, with a characteristic time scale of 50 microseconds. A simple model of bubble dynamics based on constant zipping-unzipping rates is proposed to account for our experimental data. The role of different secondary structures stabilizing the open bubble is tested.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 138101 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Physical Review Letters |
| Volume | 90 |
| Issue number | 13 |
| State | Published - 4 Apr 2003 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Physics and Astronomy