Compact microscope-based optical tweezers system for molecular manipulation

Abstract

A compact single beam optical tweezers system for force measurements and manipulation of individual double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules was integrated into a commercial inverted optical microscope. A maximal force of 150 pN combined with a force sensitivity of less than 0.5 pN allows measurements of elastic properties of single molecules which complements and overlaps the force regime accessible with atomic force microscopy (AFM). The manipulation and measurement performance of this system was tested with individual λ-DNA molecules and renders new aspects of dynamic forces phenomena with higher precision in contrast to AFM studies. An integrated liquid handling system with a fluid cell allows investigation of the force response of individual DNA molecules in the presence of DNA binding agents. Comparison of YOYO-1-, ethidium bromide intercalated DNA, and distamycin-A complexed DNA revealed accurate and reproducible differences in the force response to an external load. This opens the possibility to use it as a single molecule biosensor to investigate DNA binding agents and even to identify molecular binding mechanisms.