Sequence, packing and nanometer scale structure in STM images of nucleic acids under water.

Journal of Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics
S M LindsayP I Oden

Abstract

Scanning tunneling microscope (STM) images of random-sequence nucleic acid polymers under water show internal structure which depends strongly on the packing density of the polymer. Images of dense aggregates have a semicrystalline order with the individual polymers adopting simple periodic structures. Loose aggregates (or isolated molecules) show structural variability with considerable local bending and curving on a nanometer scale. It is not clear to what extent this structure is induced by the operation of the microscope. In order to investigate the possibility that the structure is sequence directed, we have imaged various DNA and RNA polymers at low packing densities. We present results here for random sequence DNA, poly(dAT).poly(dAT), poly(dA).poly(dT), poly(dCG).poly(dCG) and for random sequence RNA and poly(U). In contrast to loose aggregates of the random sequence material, the homopolymers show few sharp bends. Furthermore, the homopolymers appear to yield characteristic backbone patterns, usually at resolutions in excess of that obtained with random sequence polymers. The random sequence polymers show much more evidence of image distortion due to tip-molecule interactions, suggesting that they are, on average, mech...Continue Reading

References

Dec 1, 1987·Journal of Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics·R E DickersonP E Pjura
Oct 1, 1989·Journal of Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics·S M LindsayP K Hansma
Jun 2, 1989·Science·S M LindsayR L Rill
Aug 1, 1988·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·K A RyanP T Englund
Jun 1, 1988·Biopolymers·S M LindsayA Rupprecht
Sep 17, 1987·Nature·M E Hogan, R H Austin
Dec 15, 1986·Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter·H J MaminJ Clarke
Apr 11, 1986·Science·R Sonnenfeld, P K Hansma

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Citations

Oct 1, 1989·Journal of Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics·S M LindsayP K Hansma
Apr 14, 2018·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Lizhen GaoBo Liu
Jan 1, 1994·Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology·V J Morris

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