Flexibility of DNA/PNA, DNA/LNA, DNA/RNA hybrids measured with a nanoscale transducer

Abstract

We report a new application for a previously introduced enzyme-DNA supramolecular construct, as a method to assess bending stiffness of short (∼10 nm long) synthetic nucleic acids. We obtain the first measurements of bending elasticity for DNA/PNA and DNA/LNA hybrids, and also assess the DNA/RNA hybrid. In order of increasing bending stiffness, we find: DNA/RNA, DNA/DNA, DNA/LNA, DNA/PNA. The experiments also probe the nonlinear elasticity regime of the coupled enzyme-nucleic acid molecules. We find the measurements consistent with the existence of a softening transition in the mechanics of the enzyme. This previously proposed nonlinearity maybe a general property of the folded state of proteins.