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On the mechanism of electrophoretic migration of DNA in pluronic gels

Svingen, R ; Alexandridis, Paschalis LU and Akerman, B (2002) In Langmuir 18(22). p.8616-8619
Abstract
Capillary electrophoresis of nucleic acids has recently employed gels of self-assembled uncharged triblock copolymers as sieving media. Pluronic F127 contains poly(ethylene oxide) (EO) and poly(propylene oxide) (PO) with the block structure (EO)(106)(PO)(70)(EO)(106). Aqueous solutions of 30% w/w of this polymer are liquids at low temperatures but above 11 degreesC the polymers assemble to micelles that pack into a locally cubic lattice forming a gel-like lyotropic liquid crystal phase. Here we use linear dichroism spectroscopy to study the orientation dynamics of double-stranded DNA molecules during the electrophoresis. In 30% Pluronic F127, a 5400 by DNA migrates with substantial perpendicular orientation of the helix axis, which is in... (More)
Capillary electrophoresis of nucleic acids has recently employed gels of self-assembled uncharged triblock copolymers as sieving media. Pluronic F127 contains poly(ethylene oxide) (EO) and poly(propylene oxide) (PO) with the block structure (EO)(106)(PO)(70)(EO)(106). Aqueous solutions of 30% w/w of this polymer are liquids at low temperatures but above 11 degreesC the polymers assemble to micelles that pack into a locally cubic lattice forming a gel-like lyotropic liquid crystal phase. Here we use linear dichroism spectroscopy to study the orientation dynamics of double-stranded DNA molecules during the electrophoresis. In 30% Pluronic F127, a 5400 by DNA migrates with substantial perpendicular orientation of the helix axis, which is in contrast to electrophoresis in agarose gels where the helix axis of DNA is aligned parallel to the field direction. Comparison between linear and circular DNA indicates that neither DNA forth enters the cubic microcrystals at low fields, and when combined with velocity measurements the kinetics of alignment buildup and relaxation suggests that migration instead occurs in grain boundaries between domains of microcrystals. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Langmuir
volume
18
issue
22
pages
8616 - 8619
publisher
The American Chemical Society (ACS)
external identifiers
  • wos:000178839300050
  • scopus:0037195333
ISSN
0743-7463
DOI
10.1021/la025835x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
570dd3a1-57b9-4fe3-810e-21e46d1e5d71 (old id 324702)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:14:22
date last changed
2022-01-27 00:49:44
@article{570dd3a1-57b9-4fe3-810e-21e46d1e5d71,
  abstract     = {{Capillary electrophoresis of nucleic acids has recently employed gels of self-assembled uncharged triblock copolymers as sieving media. Pluronic F127 contains poly(ethylene oxide) (EO) and poly(propylene oxide) (PO) with the block structure (EO)(106)(PO)(70)(EO)(106). Aqueous solutions of 30% w/w of this polymer are liquids at low temperatures but above 11 degreesC the polymers assemble to micelles that pack into a locally cubic lattice forming a gel-like lyotropic liquid crystal phase. Here we use linear dichroism spectroscopy to study the orientation dynamics of double-stranded DNA molecules during the electrophoresis. In 30% Pluronic F127, a 5400 by DNA migrates with substantial perpendicular orientation of the helix axis, which is in contrast to electrophoresis in agarose gels where the helix axis of DNA is aligned parallel to the field direction. Comparison between linear and circular DNA indicates that neither DNA forth enters the cubic microcrystals at low fields, and when combined with velocity measurements the kinetics of alignment buildup and relaxation suggests that migration instead occurs in grain boundaries between domains of microcrystals.}},
  author       = {{Svingen, R and Alexandridis, Paschalis and Akerman, B}},
  issn         = {{0743-7463}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{22}},
  pages        = {{8616--8619}},
  publisher    = {{The American Chemical Society (ACS)}},
  series       = {{Langmuir}},
  title        = {{On the mechanism of electrophoretic migration of DNA in pluronic gels}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/la025835x}},
  doi          = {{10.1021/la025835x}},
  volume       = {{18}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}