Dresden 2011 – scientific programme

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 2: Biopolymers and Biomaterials I (jointly with BP)

CPP 2.7: Talk

Monday, March 14, 2011, 12:15–12:30, ZEU 222

Influence of the intercalating fluorescent dye YOYO-1 on DNA properties — •Katrin Günther¹, Ralf Seidel², and Michael Mertig¹ — ¹Technische Universität Dresden, Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Mess- und Sensortechnik, 01069 Dresden, Germany — ²Technische Universität Dresden, Biotechnology Center, Tatzberg 47-51 01307 Dresden, Germany

Fluorescent dyes of the cyanine family are widely used for staining DNA in order to explore the statistical-mechanical properties and the dynamical behaviour of DNA, even though their impact on the mechanical and structural properties has not been reliably quantified so far.

The influence of the bis-intercalating fluorescent dye YOYO-1 on the mechanical and structural properties of the molecule duplex is investigated in a wide range of staining ratios. Magnetic tweezers were used to measure the persistence and the contour length as well as the dye-induced untwisting of DNA molecules. The ionic conditions were found to considerably affect the stability of YOYO-1 binding to DNA. In contrast to other intercalating dyes, we found the persistence length remaining constant independent on the amount of bound YOYO-1.