Observation of single-stranded DNA on mica and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite by atomic force microscopy

• Published in: FEBS letters Vol. 580; no. 24; pp. 5671 - 5675
• Main Authors: Adamcik, Jozef, Klinov, Dmitry V., Witz, Guillaume, Sekatskii, Sergey K., Dietler, Giovanni
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier B.V 16-10-2006
• Subjects: AFM; Aluminum Silicates; Atomic force microscopy; DNA, Single-Stranded - ultrastructure; Double-stranded DNA; Graphite; Highly oriented pyrolytic graphite; HOPG; Mica; Microscopy, Atomic Force; Single-stranded DNA; ssDNA; Atomic force microscopy; Single-stranded DNA; AFM; Double-stranded DNA; Highly oriented pyrolytic graphite; ssDNA; Mica; HOPG
• ISSN: 0014-5793; 1873-3468
• DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2006.09.017

Atomic force microscopy was used to image single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) adsorbed on mica modified by Mg
2+, by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane or on modified highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). ssDNA molecules on mica have compact structures with lumps, loops and super twisting, while on modified HOPG graphite ssDNA molecules adopt a conformation without secondary structures. We have shown that the immobilization of ssDNA under standard conditions on modified HOPG eliminates intramolecular base-pairing, thus this method could be important for studying certain processes involving ssDNA in more details.