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Translocation of a Long DNA Chain Passing Through a Nanofabricated Pore
2002 Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 9-18
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2002 Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 9-18
Using nanofabrication techniques, we formed artificial nanopore structures on a quartz plate in order to mimic biophysical and biochemical processes. We investigated the dynamics of a long DNA chain (T4 DNA: 166 kbp) passing through the nanofabricated pore (ca.100 nm width) under electric fields (0.5 V-3 V) by means of fluorescence microscopy. The relationship between the applied voltage and the translocation time of DNA is discussed in terms of single chain dynamics. The T4 DNA greatly changed conformation during the translocation process because the pore size was much smaller than the Flory radius of T4 DNA. A characteristic dumbbell structure was observed during the middle stages of the translocation. We point out the importance of this conformational change, since the entropic elasticity affects the translocation dynamics of DNA.
