Single molecule fluorescence imaging and its application to the study of DNA condensation

Single molecule fluorescence imaging incorporated with optical tweezers and a laminar flow cell has been used to monitor the kinetic process of DNA condensation induced by spermidine. It was found that at least two steps were involved in the condensation process of the hydrodynamically-stretched linear DNA; a lag period followed by a rapid collapse of DNA. The lag time increased with the flow speed and the collapse time remained short within the range of the flow speed studied. The effect of salt concentration on the condensation process was examined, and the results suggest that the longer lag time observed in the higher salt buffer probably results from the displacement of bound cations and rearrangement of spermidine on the DNA. The flow-speed dependence of the lag time suggests that a nucleation event at the free end of the DNA, i.e. formation of a loop, may play a vital role in the kinetic process of condensation.