Skip to main content
bioRxiv
  • Home
  • About
  • Submit
  • ALERTS / RSS
Advanced Search
New Results

Local structure of DNA toroids reveals curvature-dependent intermolecular forces

View ORCID ProfileLuca Barberi, Françoise Livolant, View ORCID ProfileAmélie Leforestier, View ORCID ProfileMartin Lenz
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.23.211979
Luca Barberi
1Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, LPTMS, 91405, Orsay, France
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Luca Barberi
Françoise Livolant
2Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Amélie Leforestier
2Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Amélie Leforestier
  • For correspondence: amelie.leforestier@universite-paris-saclay.fr
Martin Lenz
3Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, LPTMS, 91405, Orsay, France and PMMH, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, F-75005, Paris, France
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Martin Lenz
  • For correspondence: martin.lenz@u-psud.fr
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Info/History
  • Metrics
  • Supplementary material
  • Preview PDF
Loading

Abstract

In viruses and cells, DNA is closely packed and tightly curved thanks to polyvalent cations inducing an effective attraction between its negatively charged filaments. Our understanding of this effective attraction remains very incomplete, partly because experimental data is limited to bulk measurements on large samples of mostly uncurved DNA helices. Here we use cryo electron microscopy to shed light on the interaction between highly curved helices. We find that the spacing between DNA helices in spermine-induced DNA toroidal condensates depends on their location within the torus, consistent with a mathematical model based on the competition between electrostatic interactions and the bending rigidity of DNA. We use our model to infer the characteristics of the interaction potential, and find that its equilibrium spacing strongly depends on the curvature of the filaments. In addition, the interaction is much softer than previously reported in bulk samples using different salt conditions. Beyond viruses and cells, our characterization of the interactions governing DNA-based dense structures could help develop robust designs in DNA nanotechnologies.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
Back to top
PreviousNext
Posted July 23, 2020.
Download PDF

Supplementary Material

Email

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv.

NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Local structure of DNA toroids reveals curvature-dependent intermolecular forces
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
Local structure of DNA toroids reveals curvature-dependent intermolecular forces
Luca Barberi, Françoise Livolant, Amélie Leforestier, Martin Lenz
bioRxiv 2020.07.23.211979; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.23.211979
Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Google logo LinkedIn logo Mendeley logo
Citation Tools
Local structure of DNA toroids reveals curvature-dependent intermolecular forces
Luca Barberi, Françoise Livolant, Amélie Leforestier, Martin Lenz
bioRxiv 2020.07.23.211979; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.23.211979

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Subject Area

  • Biophysics
Subject Areas
All Articles
  • Animal Behavior and Cognition (3602)
  • Biochemistry (7567)
  • Bioengineering (5522)
  • Bioinformatics (20782)
  • Biophysics (10325)
  • Cancer Biology (7978)
  • Cell Biology (11635)
  • Clinical Trials (138)
  • Developmental Biology (6602)
  • Ecology (10200)
  • Epidemiology (2065)
  • Evolutionary Biology (13611)
  • Genetics (9539)
  • Genomics (12844)
  • Immunology (7919)
  • Microbiology (19538)
  • Molecular Biology (7657)
  • Neuroscience (42081)
  • Paleontology (308)
  • Pathology (1257)
  • Pharmacology and Toxicology (2201)
  • Physiology (3267)
  • Plant Biology (7038)
  • Scientific Communication and Education (1294)
  • Synthetic Biology (1951)
  • Systems Biology (5426)
  • Zoology (1116)