Using DNA looping to measure sequence dependent DNA elasticity

Abstract

We are using tethered particle motion (TPM) microscopy to observe protein-mediated DNA looping in the lactose repressor system in DNA constructs with varying AT / CG content. We use these data to determine the persistence length of the DNA as a function of its sequence content and compare the data to direct micromechanical measurements with constant-force axial optical tweezers. The data from the TPM experiments show a much smaller sequence effect on the persistence length than the optical tweezers experiments.