High-resolution optical tweezers for investigating DNA-binding/translocating molecular motors

摘要

A double-trap optical tweezers instrument was c onstructed and its spati al resolution measured. The instrument features real-time control that allows feedback based position- and force-clamping experiments. To study RNA-polymerization by QDE-1, an RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase, we t ethered a 7250 nt si ngle-stranded DNA molecule between two optically t rapped m icrospheres. Prel iminary const ant-force ext ension t rajectories an d f orce-extension cu rves w ere collected.