Nucleic Acids Research, Vol 24, Issue 23 4759-4767, Copyright © 1996 by Oxford University Press
S Gurrieri, SB Smith, KS Wells, ID Johnson and C Bustamante
Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) techniques have been developed to
overcome the limitations of conventional electrophoresis and to increase
the separation to DNA chromosomes of few megabase pairs in size. Despite of
the large success of these techniques, the various separation protocols
employed for PFGE experiments have been determined empirically. However, a
deep understanding of the molecular mechanisms of motion responsible for
DNA separation becomes necessary for the rational optimization of these
techniques. This paper shows the first clear observations of individual
molecules of DNA during the reorientation process in 90 degrees PFGE and
120 degrees PFGE. Real- time visualization of the DNA dynamics during PFGE
was possible with the use of an epi-illumination fluorescence microscope
specifically equipped to run these experiments and by staining the DNA with
YOYO-1 (1,1'-(4,4,7,7-tetramethyl-4,7-diazaundecamethylene)-bis-4-[3-meth
yl - 2,3-dihydro-(benzo-1,3-oxazole)-2-methyl-idene]-quinolinium
tetraiodide). This dye forms a very stable, highly fluorescent complex with
double-stranded DNA and dramatically improves the quality of the DNA
images. The results of computer simulations used to reproduce the molecular
mechanisms of motion as well as the DNA separation features are also
discussed.
ARTICLES
Real-time imaging of the reorientation mechanisms of YOYO-labelled DNA molecules during 90 degrees and 120 degrees pulsed field gel electrophoresis
Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Universita di Cantania, Italy. sgurrieri@dipchi.unict.it
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S. Gurrieri, S. B. Smith, and C. Bustamante Trapping of megabase-sized DNA molecules during agarose gel electrophoresis PNAS, January 19, 1999; 96(2): 453 - 458. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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