DNA

Blog posts

C-Trap^® experiments reveal novel mechanism for transcription termination in bacteria

New insights into the regulation of transcription termination have been revealed by researchers from the lab of Shixin Liu at The Rockefeller University, New York, in a recent publication in Molecular Cell. Using the powerful LUMICKS C-Trap® technology that allows the direct observation of molecular mechanisms, they were able to…

Chenlu Yu31 March 2023

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Unlocking the secrets of DNA-binding proteins in nuclear extracts using dynamic single-molecule analysis

For a long time, scientists have been striving to understand how DNA-binding proteins interact with DNA substrates in real time at the single-molecule level, using a variety of imaging techniques and optical platforms. However, for most of these methods scientists always had to choose between studying purified proteins under specific…

Chenlu Yu28 February 2023

Blog posts

C-Trap^® experiments highlight the potential of POLQ inhibitors as BRCA-deficient cancer therapeutics

Double-stranded breaks (DSBs) are among the most serious and lethal types of DNA damage known that can lead to cell death and cancer. POLQ is an enzyme in humans that we know plays a crucial role in DSB repair and is overexpressed in many types of cancer, promoting cancer cell…

Chenlu Yu6 February 2023

Blog posts

ZAP-S binding prevents the refolding of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, inhibits programmed ribosomal frameshifting

A new Nature Communications article sheds light into the mechanisms that govern programmed ribosomal frameshifting (PRF) in SARS-CoV-2 virus, as demonstrated by C-Trap experiments.

j.yeh13 December 2021

Blog posts

ParB sliding to non-specific DNA regions visualized using C-Trap^®

A recent work published in eLife by Francisco de Asis Balaguer et al. shed light on the interaction of ParB with DNA, the consequent DNA condensation, and the role of cytidine triphosphate (CTP) in this process – at a single-molecule level. Using the C-Trap® the researchers investigated the role of…

j.yeh30 November 2021

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Using C-Trap^® to unravel different binding modes of architectural DNA-binding proteins at different ionic conditions and DNA conformation

A recent study by Szu‐Ning Lin et al. for the first time provided direct information on the dynamics of the interaction between HU and DNA and how this interaction is influenced by ionic conditions and DNA conformation.

j.yeh9 November 2021

Blog posts

Insights into the mechanism of Cas12a dynamics using C-Trap^®

A recent publication by Losito et al. from the lab of Prof. David Rueda (Imperial College London), reveals new information on the kinetics and mechanism of Cas12a-DNA interaction.

j.yeh13 October 2021

Blog posts

Missense mutation in kinesin motor leads to faster detachment from microtubules measured by C-Trap^®

In a recent article published in Science Advances, researchers investigated the mechanical consequences of a missense mutation within a highly conserved region, P305L, in the kinesin motor family member A1 (KIF1A). By employing a single-molecule approach using the C-Trap® as well as biochemical and genetic assays, Lam et al. found…

j.yeh15 July 2021

Blog posts

ssRNA significantly decreases RNA G-quadruplex stability measured by C-Trap^®

A recent article published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters provides insight into the stability and folding dynamics of RNA G-quadruplexes (RG4). Using the C-Trap® optical tweezers, Ye et al. investigated the influence of a proximal single-stranded (ss) RNA sequence and found that its existence significantly impairs RG4 stability.…

j.yeh24 June 2021

Blog posts

C-Trap^® reveals how HP1α-mediated heterochromatin modulates its stability in response to applied forces

In a recent publication by Keenen et al. in eLife, the authors uncover the biophysical properties of heterochromatin protein 1α (HP1α) and present a new model on how it mediates DNA condensation and phase separation. Employing a combination of ensemble and single-molecule assays, they found that within phase-separated HP1α-DNA condensates,…

j.yeh9 June 2021

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